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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23380486">Browa's Phic Phight Prompts 2020</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browa123/pseuds/Browa123'>Browa123</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phighting Phics [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Danny Phantom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Borrowers Fusion, Chatting &amp; Messaging, Gen, Ghost King Danny Fenton, Giant/Tiny, Grim Reapers, One Shot Collection, Prompt Fic, Tags to be added as prompts are, Thieves and Detectives</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:41:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23380486</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browa123/pseuds/Browa123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of prompts for April 2020's Phic Phight</p><p>Additional Warnings will be included in the notes of every prompt.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phighting Phics [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656181</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>191</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Phic Phight!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Little Things in Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>BlueOatmeal</p><p>Borrowers -- Everything is the same except ghosts are all fairy-sized. An ex-human would be about an inch tall for every foot tall they were in life.</p><p>Authors Note: Borrowers are literally my all time favorite plot trope, thank you so, so much for letting me do this.</p><p>Note 2: This probably feels very rushed. It's written purely on adrenaline. So many details to put in one chapter lol.</p><p>Note 3: Do not expect the rest of the prompts to be this long. I had a whole day to write this, intuition and the purest form of passion made me use the whole day.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He doesn't know exactly what happened. An invention in his parent's lab malfunctioned, leaving him like this.</p><p>Daniel James Fenton, son of a pair of inventors and exterminators. It was the two sides of the family business. His parents seemed to be able to bust any infestation that plagued the town, and constantly came up with new ways to do their job quickly and effectively.</p><p>He had chores down in the basement when it did happen. One of the chemical concoctions for a new kind of extermination gas was on the table opposite to him while he was cleaning up last night's messes. His parents were out busting a roach infestation in an apartment building and had asked him to clean up while they were gone. What he didn't know was that bumping the table behind him would spill the chemical contents on a mess of other things and a spare wire.</p><p>The resulting explosion of electric equipment and gasses knocked him out cold.</p><p>Coming to, he's in immense pain. He's somehow been knocked under the table, and even that looks off, and fuzzy... Wait, something is wrong here. Did... has he... shrunk? No, no what the hell? Why does the table leg look so high up?! It's as thick as a tree trunk, it-</p><p>Danny's train of thought is cut off by the feeling of the ground shaking. "Danny, Jazz, we're home!"</p><p>That was his father's voice. He knows it sounds booming and loud normally, but this is a bit too much. And, why is the ground shaking so much?! Danny's head hurts, everything is spinning and way bigger than it should be, make it stop...</p><p>The shaking of the ground increases in volume and intensity. No matter how much Danny begs for the headache leaving him on the ground to end, the pain remains. Suddenly, a giant boot lands mere feet away from him.</p><p>Instinct takes over as he backs away. Looking up, Danny can see his father towering over him like a skyscraper, impossibly large. The next thing that shocks him is the startling clarity of the image. Realization and dread soon sink into him. He's shrunk. It isn't some fever dream, or pain educed hallucination. Whatever chemical electric mix hit him had shrunk him to no bigger than five inches tall.</p><p>Danny can barely decipher the rumblings his parents make as they inspect the place. He can make out his name, and toxic chemicals. But also suffocation, and there not being a body. Do they think that he died down here? with this killer headache, he may as well should have.</p><p>Danny doesn't want them to see him like this. So small, insignificant and tiny. So he hides from them as best as he can. And from that day forth, he remained in hiding. If they mistake him for a pest, the noxious gasses that nearly killed him won't fail a second time.</p><p>It turns out that being five inches tall isn't easy in the slightest. Floors that once took seconds to cross now take terrifying minutes of running and hiding, everything is too high up for him to reach, and it's a general pain to do anything he normally would when at his normal size.</p><p>He hides in his sister's backpack one day, unaware that she'd taken him to Casper High with her. Afraid he'd get caught, or squished, if she dug around in it too much, Danny gets out of the backpack as quickly as he can once she's gone.</p><p>No point in waiting for her to come back. After all, his house is a death trap for someone as small as he is. Even still, he's vulnerable if his sister opens this locker, so it's better he move to a safer hiding spot. He can pick off of someone else's lunch kit later.</p><p>Although, as he looks around the area, he's surprised to find a dent in the locker large enough for him to fit though. With no other options, and fear of his sister finding him like this, Danny makes his way though the crawlspace. It's pretty well kept for a hole in the back of a locker, and it goes rather deep. Though the crawlspace does eventually open up to some place with a bit more room. Scratch that, a lot more room.</p><p>"Woah...." Danny mutters to himself, moving about the apparent flat hidden inside the wall of the school. A broken locker plate hangs above the entrance, the number 724 being engraved in the rusted metal.</p><p>"Stop right there, intruder!"</p><p>Danny whips around, putting his hands up to his shoulders. A boy around his age, dressed in an odd sowing of grey fabrics brandishes some kind of fishhook at him in turn. They're a bit shorter than him, with dark black hair and gray eyes framed in a pair of... can he call them glasses? They look more like a hodgepodge of plastic and poorly formed glass.</p><p>The other looks him up and down in turn, slowly relaxing. They lower the hook down and walk closer. "May I inquire as to what you're doing in front of my house?"</p><p>"I-I don't know, I didn't know a-anyone lived here, I swear. I've been stuck like this alone for a few days and I have no idea what I'm doing anymore..." Danny admits. The other in front of them relaxes their posture a bit more, putting the fish hook on some kind of utility belt.</p><p>"Well, you don't look like a dangerous borrower. You don't even have a hook on ya," the stranger comments, putting a hand on his chin and scratching it.</p><p>"E-excuse me, a borrower? What's a borrower?" Danny asks, even more befuddled. The stranger gives Danny a confused look in turn.</p><p>"What do you mean what's a borrower? You're one, I'm one, Lunchy's one, she's in the kitchen right now gathering food... but I'm pretty sure you should know your own species, Slick," the stranger folds his arms across his chest as Danny ponders his words.</p><p>"I don't know, I just know i'm not a borrower thingy! I'm a human!" Danny cries out in turn. The boy across from him tenses up, before backing off a bit.</p><p>"H-human?! You're one of those beans? Don't tell me you didn't lead any here!" He pulls out his fish hook again, brandishing it defensively. Danny takes a few steps back, holding up his hands again.</p><p>"No, no! I didn't, I've been hiding since I shrunk like this for a reason, meeting another human while I'm like this would crush me!" the once human begs the borrower, keeping his hands up in a sign of surrender. Even around these borrower things, he feels helpless.</p><p>"Now now, what's all the fuss about? Sidney?" A third voice enters the conversation. It sounds like that of what one might call a sweet elderly lady, as footsteps move toward the pair. Danny is now unarmed and outnumbered as the other borrower enters the room.</p><p>"This bloke just invaded my house, claiming to be one of those human beans!" the younger, apparently who's name is Sidney, calls. "He might have lead one right to us, we could be in huge trouble and have to find a new place to live!"</p><p>The elderly borrower approaches Danny, taking her turn to look him up and down. "Poor dear... you're skin and bones, come on, I just brought food from the kitchen, you need to eat."</p><p>She slaps Danny on the back and begins dragging him down a different corridor in the wall. Sidney looks on with apparent disbelief, before catching up to follow the pair. Danny himself is dragged along for the ride, the idea of food being a good idea in his eyes.</p><p>Since he shrunk, it's been hard to actually find food without being caught. He's too small to get on the table, and everything in the cupboards is far out of reach. He hates to admit it, but he's had to eat crumbs off the floor to avoid starving up to this point out of desperation. Luckily his father was a messy eater back home...</p><p>They arrive in another large room, decorated with a matchbox sofa and a spool of thread re-purposed into a small table. Other small knickknacks line the walls of the miniature flat, with not a thing out of place in the home. A satchel with bits of food rest on the table, the borrower that's probably Lunchy moving over to it and rationing out some snacks.</p><p>Danny graciously takes his share, a miniature cookie, though he's glad it's more than what he was getting off the floor of his house in the beginning of this unwilling adventure. Sidney continues to eye him across the room, but Lunchy sends the other a disapproving glance.</p><p>"Why did you let the bean in? It's a bean! Beans are big, greedy giants that do nothing more than try and drive us out if we're found!" Sidney whines. Danny winces at the accusation. He may not have known these borrower things existed before now, but being this tiny for only a week has given him an entire new perspective. It's tough being only a few inches tall.</p><p>"You know very well that you've done your fair share of screwing up. After all, you almost got caught by that orange haired bean with the green eyes the first time you went borrowing. You're very lucky none of the other beans believe that one," Lunchy scolds in turn.</p><p>"Wait, do you guys mean Wes? He's been rambling non-stop about tiny people living in the school since the beginning of the semester... Everyone just thought he was insane..." Danny mentions. Clearly not, seeing as he's five inches tall, and two other miniature people are sitting across from him.</p><p>"I guess that's lucky on our part. If other beans belived that other human, we'd have to move out and find a different place to live," Lunchy explains. "Although you've grown up as a human, the other beans would see you as no different than one of us, so I suppose someone will have to teach you to live like us."</p><p>Danny blinks up at the pair of borrowers. After a week of being alone, having someone help him through this isn't such a bad idea. Even if he misses his home and family, he can't go back to them like this. It's better to take this offer while he still can.</p><p>"Wait, you want to teach that bean to be a borrower?" Sidney interjects. "That's impossible! It's a bean, it's going to bring nothing but trouble with it."</p><p>"You would do well to watch your tongue, Sidney." Lunchy gives the other borrower a glare, before her expression softens in Danny's direction. "Yes, the young man before you may be a bean, but he's also a child. Not much older than you, I believe. And he's ill prepared to live in the situation he's been forced into, so I advise you try and be a bit more welcoming to a new peer your age."</p><p>"Yes, Lunchy," Sidney kicks at a spare pebble in the room, though it would more suited to a grain of sand if Danny were normal size.</p><p>"Ah, where are our manners? We haven't even introduced ourselves to the child." Lunchy stands, holding out a hand for Danny to shake. The boy grasps the hand, the borrower before him having a stronger grip than he anticipated.</p><p>"My name's Matilda, but I always went by Lunchy in my old home before I moved here. I was a master of borrowing in my youth after all, always seeming to get the most food for my peers," Lunchy introduces. "I guess the name just stuck after a few years."</p><p>"D-Danny, my name's Danny. Nice to meet you," Danny haphazardly introduces in turn, taking the handshake with a timid smile.</p><p>"And I'm Sidney. Sidney Poindexter. May as well say it if you're going to be sticking around, but you better not be some beanish bully," the other borrower across the room states.</p><p>"I'll try not to be," Danny replies in turn.</p><p>From that day forth, Danny gave up his life as a human. He soon learned the fundamentals of being a borrower as well, not being seen, only taking what won't be missed, never interacting with humans. He enjoys his life within the walls of Casper High, though he can't help but feel homesick every time he sees his sister walk by, whether he be sitting in a locker or in one of the vents around the place. He longs to hang around Sam and Tucker again, but they'd never recognize him at this insignificant size.</p><p>The training is rigorous, and intense. Turns out that being a borrower is a very active and tiring lifestyle. Highly dependent on running, climbing and stealth. As Danny lays face up in bed with sore limbs and labored breaths, he can't help but regret not participating in gym class more often. Still, Sidney and Lunchy put him to work every day, sore limbs be damned. He has to learn to provide for himself without being seen, or he would be a failure of a borrower, mince meat if anything bigger than a roach came by.</p><p>Danny quickly learns to build his own home in the school wall, taking things that wouldn't be missed to furnish the location to the best of his ability. He lives nearby a vent that leads outside, so he can at least go and see the sunshine once in a while.</p><p>Yes, Danny still gets homesick. But he can't go back to them. Not like this. Besides, Sidney and Lunchy make good company. Despite being a human, they warmed up to him well, and he even considers Sidney a close friend.</p><p>Despite the hectic nature of living in the walls of a building belonging to giants, Danny manages to find peace in his new home. Sure, it took a lot of athletic training to learn to climb and to forage, but he got around it rather quick with nothing better to do. No video games or television, unless he's watching one of the class video assignments during his free time.</p><p>Still, every day makes Danny stronger. Though the training is hard, and the living conditions less than what he had, he at least survived. He found a new life and new friends when he very well should have been dead, and he can't help but be thankful in turn for everything.</p><p>Of course, soon after he's become comfortable is when it happens.</p><p>Someone believes Wes about something infesting the school. Someone else calls the exterminators. Danny dreads recognizing the RV outside when the exterminators arrive. Because, of course, the Fentons run an extermination business on the side of their inventing. Another reason why Danny didn't stay with them. He didn't have the heart to tell Lunchy and Sidney when they took him in.</p><p>Lunchy is quick to act seeing the exterminators outside. Three satchels are packed with the bare essentials, and handed off to Danny and Sidney. She takes one for herself. The instructions are clear. Get to a locker before the students clear out their backpacks for the exterminating of the pest problem. Chances of going to a new home without being caught are higher if the group separates.</p><p>So, with tearful goodbyes, Danny rushes into the nearest locker he can away from his friends and hides in one of the pockets, gripping the satchel to his chest. He manages to shut the zipper behind him as he moves to the bottom of the bag. Doing his best to stifle his heavy breathing, he feels the bag shift as the bean takes it.</p><p>The human carrying the backpack rocks it with each heavy step, the world shaking as they head out of the school. Danny peers through the tiny hole in between the zipper and the fabric of the bag, praying that his other friends got away alright. Even if he may never see them again... such is the reality of being a borrower.</p><p>Although, as the bean who he hitched a ride with arrives home, Danny feels sick recognition settle in his stomach. Ahead is his human house, his old home. Back when he was normal. With the school being gassed, he has nowhere to run to, and he sure as hell can't hitch a ride back.</p><p>Would he be able to survive in the home of exterminators? His family? Does he even have a choice?</p><p>No. No he doesn't. He has to live here, because he might just end up getting flushed out if he goes back to Casper High. Though, as he heads through the doors to his old home, it's clear he'll have to start from scratch and carve out a place to live himself.</p><p>The bean, probably his sister, puts the backpack down in her room. Danny carefully waits for the giant girl to leave her room, her footsteps shaking the carpeted floor beneath the backpack with loud stomps, at least they sound like stomps from his perspective.</p><p>Once she's out of her room, Danny leaps into action. He pushes the zipper open a crack more to get out, shutting the bag behind him before bolting toward the vent located in her room. A bit of effort on his part helps him get in the vent, with help from the hook Sidney made him. The thing carries memories of the few weeks he had at Casper High with a dear friend.</p><p>With that done, and time to reminisce had, he rushes through the shaft with faded memory guiding him to where his room used to be. Thankfully, it's mostly in tact. After his supposed "death" a few weeks ago, it makes sense that it's been untouched. Even his model rockets are still on his dresser. As good a place as any to start.</p><p>Danny begins to plan out his moves. If he's caught, especially in the critically early stages of making a new home, his parents would treat him like a pest, and of course, do their jobs. It starts with location, of course. Some place to put an entrance without it being revealed if anything in the room is moved.</p><p>The next step is actually making the house. Escape tunnels, other rooms, a place to store food and the like. It would take a lot of digging with just a fish hook, but Danny decided a while ago that he's not one to lie down and die like this. He'd make his home a place for him to live in, no matter the occupations of the present company.</p><p>Next he would have to scrape together more tools. Things to make a pulley or two, so he can carry more between the kitchen and his room, and entrance and a tunnel to the kitchen so he can at least eat, some objects he can use as furniture. Building a house from scratch from scraps is going to be quite the daunting task.</p><p>He has a lot ahead of him, that's for sure, but he'll make it work. He's a Fenton, and darn it if Fentons aren't the least bit stubborn.</p><p>Over the next month, Danny would carve himself out a new home using his hook, locating the entrance behind his bed frame. It's hard, sweaty work, with him relying on the vents to act as shelter during desperate times, but soon Danny makes a home worthy of a borrower within his own bedroom.</p><p>Contraptions and gizmos line the inside of the house's drywall, some of the insulation removed to make room for his new home. Rerouting a heating vent to add some extra heat to his home was child's play in comparison to everything else he's done up to this point, and he can thank his parents at least for letting him work with building machinery.</p><p>His father is still a messy eater, so it's easy to procure food. Especially now that he has the grappling hook, he doesn't have to eat off the floor all the time. Mentoring from Lunchy seemed to be paying off, as she had taught him the basics of making a home within a bean's house, including plumbing and even electricity for the lighting of the place.</p><p>Thread from his mother's sewing kit came in handy when making the pulley system between his room and the kitchen. and the thread that goes into the jumpsuits his parents wear is durable and strong. One of the needles from the sewing kit came in handy, the sharp end proving useful in chipping away the finer details of his new home. Danny happily looks over his work once he's completed it, nodding to himself with his hands on his hips.</p><p>It's not much compared to his home at Casper High, or even the bedroom on the other side of the wall, but it is his. Danny's home within his home. As long as he's cautious, he won't have to get exterminated by his own parents. He even took some parts from his old model rockets for furniture, and linen from the bottom of his dresser works toward bedding and blankets, even if using a sock as a sleeping bag suffices.</p><p>Even if he can't interact with his family, it's good to see them. Of course, he keeps his distance. Even a stray movement would be enough to get him spotted, or the wrong place could get him crushed. At least viewing them at a distance makes him feel like he's the same size as them once in a while.</p><p>Despite living in his own home, he still feels homesick. He misses talking and interacting with his family more than anything. Watching them mill about when they're home, without him involved in anything they're doing gives him a bitter sense of loneliness that he can't seem to quell.</p><p>Still, at least he's home again. This might be the closest he can get to his family like this. Like a borrower. So, with his hard work completed, he can finally say he's comfortable in his new home.</p><p>Except he jinxed himself again. Of course he did.</p><p>This time, it really only was a screw up on Danny's part. It's dark in the kitchen when it happens, his careless maneuver of getting himself caught. He's only searching for any leftover food from dinner the night before, and everyone in the house should have been asleep.</p><p>His own tiredness seemed to overshadow his senses, yawning as he gathers a few sugar cubes in his satchel for later. He had no idea that his sister was in the room getting her own late night snack. And as Danny moves in the dark, she shrieks.</p><p>Danny can't help but scream in turn, dropping the sugar cube and running for it. The lights flicker on in the room, Danny being blinded momentarily by the shift in brightness as he stumbles around the ground like a crazed rodent.</p><p>Something stomps down in front of him, bringing his world back into focus. He slams into something soft and fluffy and falls over, his head clearing from the fluttering brightness. Dark spots burn his vision as his eyes adjust, finding a slipper the size of a car taking up the majority of his vision.</p><p>Sinking, crushing dread overtakes his senses as he's paralyzed into his spot on the ground, vulnerable and out in the open. Right by the foot of a human, waiting to crush him into pulp, nothing more than a pest stealing from them the past few weeks.</p><p>Bracing himself, Danny shuts his eyes tight, rumbling voices and thudding footsteps overtaking everything he can hear and feel.</p><p>"Jazz honey, are you alright? We heard you scream!" His mother's voice shakes the room for him. Now that his parents were here, his fate is pretty much sealed. He can't run, can't hide. He's too afraid to move, fight or flight rooting him to the ground and making him wait for the end. Tension fills every muscle in his body as he waits for one of them to bring him his demise, through being stomped on, or gassing him, or whatever other invention that's been made since he vanished...</p><p>But it doesn't come.</p><p>Danny sits there, unsure if time is at a standstill or not. The world is eerily silent around him, but the heavy sound of breathing persists through the heavy air. A few moments pass before Danny dares to open one eye, to see what they planned on doing with his frail, tiny, insignificant form.</p><p>It's not the end of some machine in his face, or the shadow of a foot over his head that he sees when he opens his eye. The surprise causes him to open another, taking in the full view of what he's actually seeing. He isn't any less tense, but he certainly wasn't expecting to see his sister staring at him.</p><p>Jazz had knelt down beside him, taking in his tiny form with wide, turquoise eyes. Passed her shoulders, his parents loom overhead, their shock and surprise equal to that of what he's feeling at the moment. The silence continues hanging in the air, no one finding it in them to break it.</p><p>"....Danny?" Jazz finally asks. Tears begin to gather in her large eyes. Danny can only give her a small nod of confirmation. Behind her, Maddie pulls one of her hands to her face in shock, tears forming in her eyes. Jack seems to relax with this overwhelming and slightly contagious sense of relief. Even Danny himself is a bit less tense, but it's been a while since he was close to any humans, let alone his family.</p><p>Without another word, Jazz easily scoops up his tiny form in her hands, Danny squawking being caught off guard as she brings him up to her chest, sitting up a bit straighter. Jack and Maddie quickly huddle closer to her sides, to get a better look at their lost son.</p><p>"You're alive..." Jazz whimpers, overcome by her emotions. "You're alive," she then declares more firmly, large tears falling freely down her cheeks as she cuddles his tiny form. He's like a glass doll in her hands, and she handles him as if too much pressure would shatter him. The boy that fits so snugly in her palms bursts into tears not long after that, gripping at her pajama top and crying into it with all he has.</p><p>"Oh Danny... my baby... what happened to you?" Maddie whispers softly, taking in her miniaturized son's appearance. The child in question is too busy sobbing into his sisters shirt, but he does manage out something sounding vaguely like saying it was a long story.</p><p>Jazz passes Danny to her mother after a long cry, Maddie bringing her son up to her face. Danny leans against her nose to try and offer her the best hug his miniature body can allow her. Maddie bursts into even more tears as he son hugs her to the best of her ability, so, so relieved to see him alive.</p><p>Jack gently takes him next, patting his son gently on the head with his pinky finger, ruffling his hair as gently as he can manage. With needlepoint as one of his hobbies, Jack is careful with his handling of Danny despite his large hands. He's as gentle as he can be, overjoyed to see him again, regardless how big he is.</p><p>"Welcome home, son. We all missed you so much," Jack whispers to Danny, letting the boy lean against his thumb for support.</p><p>Danny manages a timid smile. "I missed you guys too."</p><p>After a long discussion, a lot of smothering reunion hugs and tears later, everyone retreats to their rooms to at least get a bit more shut-eye before sunrise. Danny smiles to his family as he returns to the entrance he left in the kitchen, so many weights lifted off his chest he may as well be floating.</p><p>The next morning, he peeks out of his room to find his mother working the coffee maker. He carefully walks out of his hiding spot, taking in her tired appearance. She looks over to him, an exhausted smile on her face as she reaches over to ruffle his hair.</p><p>"Good morning hunny, I'm glad you're back," Maddie admits with a sigh. "I'm making pancakes this morning, would you like one? You must be terribly hungry with so little access to the cupboard."</p><p>"Pancakes sound amazing, mum," Danny sighs in turn, walking across the counter to get closer to her.</p><p>"Of course dear, I'll let you father and sister know that you're awake. I'm glad you're finally home sweetheart."</p><p>Danny smiles genuinely in her direction, glad to finally be home.</p><p>Things go uphill from then on. Although his condition is irreversible (his parents checked multiple times over), the family works to make the best of it. They make Danny actual furniture for his little house in the walls, and even get him a working television.</p><p>Even if it isn't the human life he had before, Danny couldn't be happier with this turn of events. No more running or hiding, just staying with his family despite how he had changed. Even if the constant coddling from his family can be a bit demeaning, it beats being alone like he was before.</p><p>He even helps to get borrowers out if his parents have calls about pests, he's become a regular member of the team. In turn, his parents have promised to keep the existence of borrowers a secret. It's in everyone's best interest if the populace remains ignorant to the sentient people living in the walls of human homes.</p><p>In the end, Danny is more than happy to help how he can, and come home to real food, shelter and a loving family, feeling accomplished in keeping the real borrowers out there safe and sound. With all that in mind, he can't be happier with how he is. He might be tiny, but he's still himself.</p><p>And, well, he's happy he doesn't have to eat off the floor and sleep in a sock anymore.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Phantom Thief</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hpwot (The Lord of Chaos)</p><p>Danny is 'the greatest thief in the world.' He's just trying to make the world a better place though.</p><p> </p><p>  <b>Character Death mention in the latter half of the fill</b></p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I did not expect to make another AU this soon after the other one.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Valerie looks over the calling card one last time.</p><p>The cursive written cipher has the Phantom's monochrome motif all over it. The district worked tirelessly to decipher the calling card, the seemingly nonsensical language written into the black and white parchment. Even after it had been translated, it was littered with riddles and rhymes. Valerie had come to learn it as Phantom's staple, another trick the thief used when showboating. </p><p>The elaborate heists Phantom organized had garnered the attention of the masses, each flashy display more elaborate than the next. Phantom specialized in the oddest of valuable artifacts to steal on top of it all. Unlike gold or riches like your typical, cookie cutter thief, Phantom specialized in stealing ancient artifacts.</p><p>His debut involved the theft of an old scepter, adorned with a ruby on top. The ruby itself had a circular cut and was rumored to control the dead. It was a family heirloom, belonging to the last descendant of the Showenhower family, Frederich Isak Showenhower, known by his more commonly used stage name, Freakshow. The Showenhower family had been running a thematic "Circus of the Dead", Circus Gothica for many generations before the fated heist.</p><p>Valerie remembers it like the back of her hand. She was a junior detective at the time, not even on a case. Her mentor, Head Detective Vlad Masters, had gotten her tickets to see the show when it came to Amity Park.</p><p>Detective Masters had always been for more macabre forms of entertainment. On their off time, Masters would often be seen indulging in topics similar to how the Showenhowers work. Ghosts, spirits, anything involving the dead. Detective Masters had told her that he became interested in this field of work mostly due to his fascination with death.</p><p>Valerie couldn't relate. The reason she became a detective was vastly different compared to her mentor. Her motivations were her own, and she wouldn't stop until she caught them. The criminal who murdered her mother. For the sake of justice, she will avenge her mother.</p><p>When Vlad invited her to Circus Gothica, Valerie hadn't thought much of it. By then, she was well into her college studies, interning under Detective Masters already of course, and branching out to new connections outside of high school.</p><p>It included Danny Fenton, a geeky kid that also happened to be the son a renowned inventor. The boy was around her age, and was attending the college for degrees in both astrology and astronomy. He'd light up like a Christmas Tree when talking about anything related to space, and Valerie almost found it cute.</p><p>Back to the topic at hand. She had a seat near the front row of the circus, right next to her mentor. She remembers thanking him for taking her along to see the show, it would be nice to get to know her boss a little bit better. Though, that's not what ended up happening that day.</p><p>Right before the show was about to begin, the lights illuminating the tent cut to black. Freakshow, who was currently acting as the ring master for the circus, suddenly recoiled in confusion, a clear indication that the blackout wasn't part of the show. The spindly man in the center ring grips the scepter tightly as he looks around.</p><p>"Well then folks, please excuse the technical difficulties. We will have the lights up and running again in just a moment," Freakshow assures the muttering crowd, waving a gloved hand. Valerie could see the man's hand twitch, growing tighter around the staff as if paranoid it would vanish.</p><p>"Oh, trust me. Everything is working in perfect order for tonight's show," a new voice cuts in, echoing about the darkened tent. With three sudden flashes, a trio of spotlights turn on automatically and focus on the high wire. An unknown individual in a white cloak stands precariously on the thin line, their back turned to the crowd.</p><p>Freakshow turns around, quickly spotting the intruder in his circus. "What in... who are you? You're not a part of my staff!"</p><p>The cloaked stranger turns around, spinning on the thin wire with balance and grace. A mask covers the individual's face, the only determinable feature under their costume being the dark, black hair poking out from under the hood of the cloak. The outfit underneath looks like that of a black jumpsuit, white accents at the neck, belt, gloves and boots.</p><p>"You know very well who I am, Ringmaster Freakshow. I know you received my calling card," the stranger replies. "And as I told you in my calling card, I'm here to take your dearest treasure right from your grasp and expose your evil to the world!"</p><p>At the declaration, the spotlights focusing on the cloaked figure black out again.</p><p>Valerie can only blink a moment before they flicker back on. Clearing her vision, she can't help but stare in awe. In that brief moment of darkness, Freakshow's staff had disappeared from his grasp. The figure had returned to the high wire, now using the staff as a balancing pole. Beneath their mask, a wickedly victorious grin spreads across their pale face.</p><p>Freakshow sputters a minute, the hand that used to be gripping the staff opening and closing on empty air. "th.... Thief! There's a thief in my circus! Someone call the authorities! That staff is a prized family heirloom you masked hooligan!"</p><p>The criminal only chuckles, Detective Masters standing to help, Valerie close behind. The figure on the high wire twirls the staff tauntingly, grinning from ear to ear.</p><p>"Go ahead, call the authorities! I think you'll all find out soon enough that I'm not the only thief involved in tonight's show!" The thief holds their arms out in a show of defiance, challenging Freakshow to try and stop him. Stop him from what? Getting away with the staff?</p><p>Apparently not, for at that very moment, the sound of a train whistle blasts loudly through the circus tent. The locomotive's chugging engine approaches at high speed from outside, before the engine rips through the tent right behind where the thief is standing, derailing itself and landing in tact just shy of the high wire.</p><p>The train's whistle gives another mangled whine, the vent where the steam would normally escape spewing out a mess of black and white cards, the updraft carries the cards across the crowd, falling like leaves into the audience. On each one is a name, and a note.</p><p>Every man wears a mask. Some masks are just too well hidden to see.<br/>
-Phantom</p><p>The thief on the high wire gives a bow, before the lights turn off and on again. As things fade back into focus, the Phantom Thief had vanished with the ringleader's staff along with them. Freakshow himself can only continue sputtering as his staff stumble out from the wreckage of the train.</p><p>Detective Masters begins to assess the damage. The staff members of Circus Gothica are unharmed at least, if not a little shaken.</p><p>A moment later, and the side of the front-most car blows off, a wave of gold and jewels leaking out from the inside of what was supposed to be storage for circus supplies. Valerie goes wide eyed at the sight of the treasure, recognizing a lot of it, that a lot of it was stolen.</p><p>"All this gold, these jewels... they all were stolen, right around the time Circus Gothica came around to the respective towns each treasure belonged to," Valerie states, turning to Freakshow and the other staff. Detective Masters produces a pair of cuffs, the authorities arriving moments later to make a proper arrest.</p><p>The entirety of Circus Gothica's staff ended up being taken to the station, the treasure seized and soon returned to the rightful owners in banks and museums all across the country. On the night of his debut, this elusive Phantom busted one of the biggest criminal scandals Valerie had ever seen. All the thief had taken was the bejeweled scepter belonging to the ringleader.</p><p>"Phantom may have exposed Frederich Isak Showenhower's crimes to the world, but he is still a criminal," Detective Masters explained in response to her thoughts on the thief the next morning. "Property damage, theft, vehicular theft with the train, vandalism, human endangerment... these are all highly illegal crimes, and should be punished under the law. Don't let some fancy midnight thief lead you astray with his warped exposures."</p><p>There were many other heists after the fact. Each one of Phantom's displays of cunning and wit bringing him plenty of public exposure. Newspaper headlines were littered with the masked thief's name, Phantom the talk of the town almost everywhere Valerie looked. Even her own college campus was littered with gossip and rumors about the boy with the white cloak, being able to pull of seemingly impossible stunts with every show.</p><p>The theft of a valuable vase exposed the crimes of a woman that granted false desires. A pop star's concert was sabotaged by Phantom, the thief taking her guitar and exposing how she used the support of her fans to do horrid things in the celebrity world. An amulet embed with dragonfire, according to legend, was stolen to expose a manipulative politician. Phantom even organized a prison break to show off the abuses of a corrupt warden.</p><p>The most impressive heist thus far had to be the Reality Gauntlet heist. The one of a kind gauntlet was stolen right in front of the police department, and it took down a corrupt government organization known as the G.I.W.</p><p>But, Detective Masters still had a point. Phantom is a criminal. A flashy vigilante criminal moonlighting through Amity Park, but a criminal nonetheless. It's Valerie's job to catch thieves like Phantom. Vlad had assigned her specifically to his case, and her aid in bringing him to arrest would be her graduation assignment.</p><p>"I don't get why you're so persistent," Danny, the cute astronerd that she'd made friends with over the months she'd spent at college, pipes up. "It's not like Phantom is hurting anyone. Besides, the public loves him. There are criminals out there way more dangerous than Phantom is."</p><p>"That's not the point, Danny," Valerie huffs. "The district doesn't care that Phantom exposes more crimes than he commits. The longer a thief that well known keeps running around, the more we look like incompetent fools. You've seen the news, they're saying Phantom is more reliable than the police nowadays catching the criminals for us."</p><p>"Yeah, well the media says what they want. Phantom is trendy right now, it's what's in. Like the latest meme or fad or whatever, you know they're over-exaggerating," Danny assures before taking another bite of his lunch.</p><p>"Sure, that's what you think..." Valerie mutters.</p><p>It brings her back to the present moment, holding the latest calling card in her hands. It's why her hands are shaking. The location is the home of her mentor on the edge of town. Why Phantom is targeting Detective Masters is beyond her, but she can't help but dread it. Is a member of the Masters family a criminal? Valerie dreads to think it as her eyes rake the card once again.</p><p>The cat ate the canary, but still he hides his grin.<br/>
They showered the feline of jewels he did not deserve, and soon let him rise to the rank of king.<br/>
On the night of the half moon, I will steal the Master's dusty crown.<br/>
-Phantom.</p><p>So, with a heavy heart, Valerie gathers what she needs. Tonight is a half-full moon, the night the Phantom Thief would strike. She has to stop him tonight. She doesn't want to know about the crimes he plans on exposing tonight. Vlad Masters, her mentor, is a good man. His teachings have never lead her astray. </p><p>The number of cases Detective Masters has solved was unrivaled in terms of efficiency and accuracy. Even the murder of her friend's father, Jack Fenton, one of the most confusing cases ever put on the news, was solved by her mentor. His input closed the case on it, blaming the journalist Harriet Chin for murdering him during his college reunion.</p><p>Although, whenever Valerie brought Detective Masters around Danny, the boy would end up going silent. She'd think he'd be more grateful toward the detective that detained his father's killer. But, in the end, she stopped bringing up mentoring under Vlad around Danny for his own comfort.</p><p>Valerie arrives at Detective Master's mansion, and entire police squadron at her back as they head into the place. Vlad had joined Valerie at the entrance, pleased with the amount of backup she had brought with her to his abode.</p><p>"I want at least one officer in every room," Valerie instructs. "Search the premises for Phantom, do not leave a stone un-turned. Do not let him get away."</p><p>With instructions made clear, the entire squadron moves about the mansion. Detective Masters insists on staying in his room for the duration of Phantom's supposed heist and promptly retreats to his quarters. It leaves Valerie alone to keep guard on the foyer, watching for the slightest shadow.</p><p>A black and white card hits her in the head. It flutters elegantly to the floor. Valerie arms her taser, looking around for who, or what, had dropped the card. Nothing in the well lit room stirs, aside the card making contact with the ground.</p><p>Cautiously, Valerie takes the thick slip of paper, adorned with Phantom's infamous symbol. It's addressed to her. Phantom must think he can get to her like this. With a huff, she skeptically reads the note the thief left him.</p><p>Hello, Detective.<br/>
Want to play hide and seek?<br/>
Count to ten, and then enter the door on your left.<br/>
-Phantom.</p><p>Valerie calls a guard to watch the foyer as she leaves down the hall. Count to ten? Did that mean count the rooms? She's still suspicious of Phantom's game here, but with his heist already in progress, and officers lining the hallways, she can hopefully afford to play along. Maybe then she'll find out why Phantom is targeting Mr. Masters.</p><p>With that in mind, she moves down the hall counting ten doors and moving to the one on the left. She wiggles the door handle, only to find the room locked. Another card slips under the door as she wiggles the handle. Getting on her hands and knees, she tries peeking under the frame, only to be met with darkness on the other side. Valerie sighs and picks up the next card.</p><p>Your count is off. Back up three steps and knock.<br/>
-Phantom.</p><p>Doing as the card instructs, Valerie takes three steps back, being met with a wall instead of a door. Very funny, Phantom. The crook is probably running her around in circles to keep her distracted. With a grunt, Valerie decides to humor him with knocking on the wall three times.</p><p>Although, instead of knocking on drywall, three metal bangs meet her fist instead. Surprised now, Valerie feels around the wall, locating a hidden handle and revealing a metal door, within lies an elevator shaft. "What the hell..."</p><p>Another card flutters out.</p><p>You're getting warmer, Detective.<br/>
-Phantom.</p><p>"Stupid.. pretentious thief..." Valerie mutters under her breath as she steps into the elevator. The door closes behind her, and the elevator sends her down into some unknown basement. It's a slow and claustrophobic ride. Some of the way down, Valerie finds herself regretting not bringing any backup with her.</p><p>The elevator reaches the bottom not long after that. With a hiss, the doors open to reveal a dim, dark underground laboratory. Valerie exchanges her taser for a flashlight as she takes a few steps into the hidden room. Notes cover the floors of the place, chambers full of unknown substances lining the walls and within beakers.</p><p>"What in the name of... this is still Detective Master's house, right?" She finds herself saying aloud in pure disbelief. Her footsteps echo on the metal floor, the occasional crinkling of stray papers crunching under her boots as she takes in the laboratory.</p><p>"Trust me, this is still Vlad's place. It's his true colors."</p><p>Valerie whips around, seeing Phantom standing behind her. The white cloak draped over his black jumpsuit was instantly recognizable, dark hair framing the mask the thief always wore. She'd never been this close to Phantom before.</p><p>He's roughly a foot taller than her, thin features lying within his over the top outfit. It makes him lithe, limber, slippery as an eel. Though judging by the frown under his mask, the thief isn't here to play any more games. Phantom folds his arms over his chest in a serious manner.</p><p>"I'm glad you could make it detective, I want to strike a deal with you tonight," Phantom lets his arms move to his sides, standing a bit tense now that Valerie has a good look at him.</p><p>"A deal?" Valerie replies, skeptical feelings returning. "What would you even offer me if we made a deal."</p><p>Phantom smirks. "If you help me with tonight's show, I'll let you arrest me."</p><p>"Y-you what? Why would I even help you steal something?! You're a thief! It's my job to apprehend you!" Valerie hisses at him indignantly.</p><p>"Please," Phantom pleads, dropping down to his knees. "I'll let you do anything you want with me after the heist, but I've been working up to this and I need your help. Just this once, and I'll be out of your hair forever, you have my word!"</p><p>"Wait, you've been meaning to steal from Detective Masters all along?" Valerie balks.</p><p>Phantom pauses, turning serious again. He looks at the ground, gloved hands gripping the lower half of his jumpsuit. "...Vlad Masters killed my father."</p><p>Valerie can't believe what she just heard. Her mentor, a murderer? No, no that can't be right. He'd always been interested in the macabre but he'd never murder someone!</p><p>"Before you refute me, let me show you my proof." Phantom's sharp words snap her out of her momentary stupor. Under the mask, two intense blue eyes look at her, leaking of loss and vengeance. Two of the same feelings she'd held in her heart since her mother died when she was little.</p><p>And Phantom did have proof, damming evidence. He refused to reveal any names, but he had a copied autopsy report with valid signatures and everything. Valerie can't help but recognize the case. The victim's name escapes her, but the way they died and how they were found set of all kids of alarms in her head.</p><p>Poisoning. The victim was an overweight adult male that was given a lethal dose of cyanide. Evidence revealed that the punch the man was drinking had been spiked with the deadly chemical, and killed him in minutes. An arrest was made, but Phantom had scribbled the word "Innocent Woman" over-top the detained individual. The case is roughly five years old.</p><p>"I saw him do it. It wasn't the punch he poisoned. He poisoned the dessert. His dessert, with his name on it. He was already a higher class citizen by then, his influence keeping me from testifying," Phantom hisses, clenching and unclenching his fists on repeat.</p><p>"He didn't get rid of me, even though I saw what he did. In his words, I was just some kid that no one would believe. Well, today I'll make them believe. I'm going to expose my father's real murderer today. That's all I want. I'm taking his crown, his position above everyone else today. Will you join me?"</p><p>Phantom holds out a gloved hand. Valerie looks at the rubbery hazmat coating from head to toe. Under his cloak lie flashes of metal, many different gadgets used to pull off the heists with near superhuman ability lying beneath the ivory folds of cloth.</p><p>Valerie hesitantly shakes Phantom's hand. "Alright. At the very least, we can reopen the case with the evidence you've presented. Though we'll need the names of the victims to do that."</p><p>"You'll get my name after the heist. Everything will become clear after that," Phantom agrees, his grip warm through his gloves.</p><p>A shot then suddenly rings out in the lab, time seeming to slow as the thief before Valerie shouts in warning, and shoves her out of the way. The young detective finds herself on the ground, Phantom on top of her, his expression under the mask screwed up in pain. Red begins staining his pristine white cloak.</p><p>Detective Masters stands at the other end of the hall, holding a gun. The barrel smokes from the fired shot, and Valerie doesn't need to be a detective to know where it landed. Vlad's expression is a sick mix of fury and satisfaction as he steps into the lab.</p><p>"Now, now. If you both hadn't been so foolish, I wouldn't have to kill either of you. It's a shame though, you were my star pupil, Valerie. But, I'm afraid the both of you know too much." Vlad preps the gun for another shot, aiming at Phantom's head this time.</p><p>The thief on top of her struggles to move, attempting to get distance to buy time as he begins bleeding out from the gunshot wound in his side. As he does so, a wicked grin overtakes his features. Phantom takes something from her own holster, pulling a piece of equipment out of his cloak and attaching it to the taser he'd taken from her.</p><p>"Thanks for the help," Phantom grunts, before tossing the taser with all his might at Vlad just as the man pulls the trigger for another shot.</p><p>BANG!</p><p>The horrid sound echoes off the walls of the laboratory. Vlad then recoils in pain as the taser hits its mark, shocking him into unconsciousness. As for Phantom...</p><p>The shot had knocked the mask clean off his face.</p><p>The bullet hole in the wall just passed his brow indicates that the second bullet hadn't hit him. Phantom's mask clatters to the floor, the labored breaths of the boy before her clutching his side slowly forcing his hood to slip off his face.</p><p>"...Danny?"</p><p>"Hey, Val...." Danny answers simply before collapsing into her arms.</p><p>-</p><p>Valerie waits outside the hospital room with baited breath. Danny was certainly sneaky, the scene in the laboratory had been under camera security the whole time. He'd planted a bug on the camera, and that bug broadcasted the live feed to every television it could reach in the mansion. It also broadcasted the feed to the local police station, leading to a quick arrest, and even quicker action in regards to saving Danny's life.</p><p>The surgery to remove the bullet from his side is today, and she can't help but be nervous. He hasn't woken up yet of course, but when he does, she certainly has a few choice words for him.</p><p>Phantom's accomplices were also at the hospital with Valerie. She can still barely believe that Danny's friends Sam and Tucker, and his sister were all involved in making Danny one of the most renowned thieves in recent history. Even Danny's mother could hardly believe it, although being family she was allowed to see her unconscious son in person. Jazz had decided to wait her turn, not wanting to be in the same room as her mother after she just found out she was helping her brother with his moonlighting.</p><p>All three were questioned, but no arrests were made in regards to their involvement with Phantom. From what Valerie's been hearing around the district, they're thinking of hiring the four of them. Whatever the case, Danny has a lot to wake up to.</p><p>She looks forlornly at the door leading to his hospital bed, sighing to herself and folding her arms over her chest. At least she finally got to finish her graduation exam, without Danny ending up behind bars for what he's done. It must be the district's way of thanking him for exposing Vlad.</p><p>Harriet Chin is also a free woman, released after undeniable evidence of Vlad Masters poisoning Jack Fenton came to light after his arrest. To think that lowlife would murder someone and then use their status as a detective to solve a false case...</p><p>At least all is well that ends well, right?</p><p>So why does Valerie feel so lost? She should be relieved that she isn't chasing Danny around with intent to arrest him anymore. But, she can't help but feel like she'll miss the thrill of the chase that Phantom brought. There's no other thief like him out there in the world. Would he even continue moonlighting like he had after this?</p><p>Perhaps it's a selfish question, but one Valerie feels the need to ask Danny when he wakes up. </p><p>She just needs to wait for his calling card.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Dating Disaster</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt By Lurking:</p><p>Maddie and Jack have planned the perfect date night, and nothing will ruin it. Not even the Wisconsin Ghost, who seems to think they can’t see him hiding behind a menu at the other table.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Your seats, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton."</p><p>The waiter steps aside to allow the pair to sit. Jack adjusts the tie Maddie talked him into wearing tonight, the orange of his hazmat still visible under the cuffs of the suit. Even when dressing elegantly, he can't forget the safety of the jumpsuit, those ghostly suckers could jump out at any moment and ruin the night. A Fenton always knows to come prepared for any spectral situations, after all.</p><p>The waiter gives him and his wife two tall menus, pouring glasses of ice water for both and leaving them to decide on what to eat. The menu is filled with lavish and fancy wording, the font curled in ways that Jack barely finds determinable as he looks it over. Maddie sits across from him, perusing her own menu with a critical eye.</p><p>Jack can't help but take his eyes off the menu to watch her. As beautiful as the day they met. Indigo irises move up and down the page before her in a way that always managed to charm him. Elegant yet strong fingers turn the page of the menu and Jack sighs, still thoroughly taken by the beauty of his lovely wife.</p><p>"Now Jack, you can look at me all you want after we order," Maddie chides, catching her husband staring. "Wouldn't want to come all this way and not have you order anything, can we?"</p><p>The other hunter across the room nods stiffly, bringing his eyes back to the menu, and it's confusingly curvy font. He never will understand why fancy fonts are so darn hard to read. Still, Jack does end up managing to decipher the befuddling script after a while, deciding he wants the prime rib today.</p><p>He looks up from his menu, folding it closed and putting it down on the table to indicate he's ready to order. Maddie is still skimming her's across from him, so he goes back to admiring every detail he can of her. Jack has to admit, he really lucked out on getting a gal like Maddie. Smart, strong, dexterous, and just as into ghosts as he is! That used to get girls to run away from him when he was growing up!</p><p>As Jack admires her, something red seems to catch his eye. What on earth....?</p><p>Instinct kicks in, Jack stiffening in his seat as he spots the Wisconsin Ghost in the table across from them. What is that spook doing here?! Why is it holding a menu?! Is it... is it eying his wife?! The nerve of that disgusting specter, how dare it!</p><p>"Jack dear, is something the matter?" Maddie looks up from her own menu, seeing her husband tense. Jack in turn puts a finger to his lips, shushing his wife a moment. He leans in closer, keeping an eye on the ectoplasmic scum behind them.</p><p>"Mads... ghost, six o' clock, right behind you," Jack whispers harshly. Why is that specter out of all of them here. The same spook that overshadowed him and attempted to kidnap Maddie during the college reunion, the same spook that tried to take their portal while he was hunting the ghost kid, the same spook that flew at their son and got him shot by his old college pal! What in the name of the greatest gobs of ghost goo is it doing here?!</p><p>Maddie turns around, and the Wisconsin ghost pulls the menu over his face as she turns to look at it. She returns to facing Jack with a very disapproving look. All it takes is a glance between the two to understand that they are both unhappy with it's presence here.</p><p>"With how often that creep messes with us, I'll bet you it's here to ruin our night," Maddie huffs with agitation. Jack nods in agreement, sending a glare at the pathetic attempt to hide behind a menu.</p><p>The waiter comes back to the table, refilling the water. "Are we ready to order tonight?"</p><p>"Excuse me, just one question," Maddie turns to the waiter with a serious expression. "Sir, are you aware that you're serving a ghost at this establishment?"</p><p>The suited gentleman looks to the table harboring the Wisconsin Ghost. He then turns back to the two with a sigh. "I'm afraid so, but an anonymous benefactor reserved a seat for Mr. Plasmius over there last night."</p><p>"But he's a ghost," Maddie hisses under her breath. "Ghosts only create chaos and trouble wherever they go. Left unattended, it will surely wreck this entire establishment."</p><p>"My apologies ma'am, but the benefactor paid an amount we can't disclose at this time for privacy sake. Although if Mr. Plasmius were to cause damage, the benefactor's payment alone could easily cover the cost of rebuilding this place up from the ground. There's nothing I can do, as the manager insisted we take the offer..." the waiter elaborates.</p><p>Maddie grumbles under her breath, something about speaking to the manager after this. Jack can only agree, letting a ghost into any kind of establishment is just sewing the seeds of chaos. Still, if there's nothing they can do, they can always wait to catch it outside if anything happens.</p><p>Although, ghosts don't typically eat... so why is it holding a menu?</p><p>"May I take your orders at least?" The waiter pipes up.</p><p>Jack nods reluctantly. Tonight is about him and his wife, any no good ghost scum can shove it for a couple more hours. And if this "Plasmius" ghost tries anything, well... his jumpsuit is armed with fifty different anti-ghost weapons anyway. Never leaves the house without one.</p><p>Maddie adjusts the collar of her own outfit, Jack spying her own hazmat underneath. The two smile at each other, glad the other was thinking the same thing. If nothing else, the pair will have an activity to work the meal off with once they leave.</p><p>With that out of the way, the pair order their meals. The waiter leaves the area, both hunters remaining cautious of the malicious presence behind them. The ghost in question continues to keep the menu up to their face. The pair of hunters look back to each other and chuckle, casually exchanging ideas of what to do to the ghost watching them after they've eaten.</p><p>A pair of bright green eyes watches from the window. Danny sighs, deciding to leave his parents to their own devices for now. He's pretty sure they can handle it.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Scythe to Meet You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>KitKat Cat (All Hail the Trash Prince)</p><p>Caught somewhere outside of the life or death binary, Danny Fenton is enlisted to become the next Grim Reaper</p><p>Author's Note: *looks at the prompts I submitted* Same Hat.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny is unsure as to why his ice powers compelled him to make this specific shape.</p><p>Undergrowth had returned to take over the world once again, and the incident with his ice powers acting strangely came to end in this result. His normal blasts weren't making a dent in the foliage the plant ghost had put up to protect the roots, and his ice powers seemed to be deflected, a result of the harsh sunshine coating Amity Park on a summer day like this. Of course being in proper growing conditions would make Undergrowth stronger.</p><p>When the thought to find a way to cut through the many vines in order to uproot the invasion of ectoplasmic plants occurred, his ice powers seemed to respond to the thought in a subconscious manner. His eyes alight with the icy neon blue associated with that half of his core, a cold sensation travelling down his arms. Frostbite had long since taught him not to fight the flow of freezing power, letting it build and manifest the way his instinct saw fit.</p><p>Ice moved through his veins at an alarming rate, before forming at his palms. But, this was no ectoblast. Rather, a long pole of sorts seems to make its way into his grip, reminding him faintly of his mother's bo-staff. As the frosty pole reached the ends, a large blade began forming at the top, curved like that of a crescent moon. Bright green electrical patterns run along the length of the weapon, looking much more regal than it's intended use.</p><p>Yes, Danny finds himself holding a scythe made out of ice. The young halfa blinks a few times in disbelief, taking in the piece of fancy looking farming equipment his core had produced. Still, he knows its intended purpose, and smirks as he looks back to the thick vines and foliage protecting Undergrowth.</p><p>Letting instinct take the wheel, Danny dives in. He twirls the blade of his icy scythe about with elegance he hardly knew he had in him, the weapon slicing through the greenery like butter. The halfa closes in for the capture, swinging his new weapon through the air at a very mortified looking Undergrowth. After all, he basically just busted in out of nowhere, the ghost probably wasn't expecting him to get here this quickly.</p><p>As Danny brings the blade down on his much larger foe, the scythe slices through the air, sparking and fizzling. Instead of hitting Undergrowth, the scythe seems to catch on the sky itself, tearing open a portal to the ghost zone right between the two battling specters. Danny's own eyes grow wide as he tears open the fabric of reality right then and there.</p><p>Before he can think, Undergrowth and all of his ghostly "children" are pulled into the portal, the tear shutting behind the last leaf. Danny lowers the scythe to his side, limbs going slack as he floats in midair. Shock is the only emotion he can feel, and through the entire silent few minutes, a single thought repeats in his head.</p><p>"Did I seriously just do that?"</p><p>As Danny surveys the remnant carnage below, people begin emerging from their houses to see if the ghost attack was truly over. No one was harmed, thank goodness, leaving Danny floating in the hot summer sun before the town. The halfa continues to grip the ice scythe, liking the cool feeling despite the heat.</p><p>People can only stare in disbelief, even Jack and Maddie lowering their weapons in awe of what they were seeing. For at that moment, it was clear that Phantom was no ghost. Not in the slightest. A completely different classification in its entirety, the scythe proof of this in it's regal form and pure strength despite just being frozen water. No, Phantom isn't a ghost in the slightest.</p><p>Phantom is a Reaper.</p><p>Awkward silence follows as the sun beats down on Danny's back, before a subconscious thought tells him he should go. He's not one to stay in one place after a fight like that, the risk of someone seeing through his heroic facade too high if he were to just linger. So, he leaves. Rushes off down the streets and vanishes, letting himself turn human.</p><p>The scythe vanishes with the transformation, although the heat comes back full force without the ectoplasm in his veins in an active enough state to keep him cool. Hopefully no one notices his eyes are a bit more blue as he uses his cryokinesis instead. Speaking of his ice powers, he should probably go and see Frostbite about the ice scythe as soon as possible.</p><p>Despite being half ghost, Danny has very limited knowledge on ghostly cultures and legends. Being human-like, remaining in the physical realm for most of his existence thus far, he hasn't had the time or resources to know exactly what's going on when new powers arise. It's times like these that he can be thankful to Frostbite, having someone to rely on and give him comprehensible explanations when things go south.</p><p>Frostbite isn't vague or condescending when helping Danny out. His Far Frozen ally also seemed the most approachable of the ghosts that do respect him, and is always happy to help, as a friend and not just a servant, even if being called "great one" all the time can be a bit embarrassing.</p><p>So, as he slips passed the still gobsmacked crowd, admittedly curious as to what has them still standing and staring at where his ghost was floating a few moments ago, Danny returns to his house with little interference. Slipping through the ghost portal is just as easily, Danny transforming back into Phantom as he crosses the veil between physical and spectral.</p><p>When he transforms, he finds that his new scythe is strapped to his back. He takes it in his hands, twirling the weapon around curiously with no other spirits around. All things considered, it's a neat little weapon. Unaware of any past associations he may have had with scythes, he plans on showing it to Sam under the impression that she'll think it's "aesthetic". With that in mind, Danny reattaches the scythe to his back and heads off.</p><p>The flight to the far frozen is, well, far, but with time in of itself acting strangely in the ghost zone, it's also not that long before he arrives to where he's intending to go. The snowy peaks of Frostbite's homeland greet him with the same familiarity he always felt coming here.</p><p>As he lands, the thick snow crunches under his boots, the hazmat's white highlights blending with the snow. Frostbite is on him in a moment, rushing forward and greeting Danny with a bear hug. The halfa gets lifted off his feet as he's squeezed, Frostbite bombarding him with welcoming words.</p><p>Danny is then deposited on the ground, the yeti-esque ghost brushing off the snow from his shoulders with an excited grin.</p><p>"So, what brings you to the Far Frozen, great one?" Frostbite finally asks, taking in the halfa's appearance. He has yet to notice the scythe strapped to his back, the blade of the thing hanging near his shins. Danny smiles back at his icy mentor in turn, rubbing the back of his neck.</p><p>"Just a few questions. I got a new power, and I was wondering if you could shed any light on it." Danny replies, pulling the scythe off his back and presenting it to Frostbite. The yeti's eyes widen with shock and awe at the sight of the thing, taking a few heavy steps backward.</p><p>Danny tilts his head at Frostbite's sudden expression, the ghost not looking afraid, but more surprised and amazed. His claws reach for the scythe, before drawing back in a brief moment. He looks Danny up and down with a pleading expression. "May I, Great One?"</p><p>Danny hands Frostbite the scythe, watching his friend look over the thing with the most awestruck amazement Danny had ever seen. Not even his parents were this excited after they saw their first ghost, even though that was admittedly him phasing through the ground in front of them.</p><p>"I never again thought I'd see a Reaper..." Frostbite mutters as he looks about the scythe. He hands it carefully back to Danny after a moment. "I suppose there's really only one Reaper descendant around that could truly help you understand these powers...</p><p>"Reaper? What's a Reaper? Is it like the Grim Reaper?" Danny finds himself asking. He'd really only heard a few things, and his parents often avoided the topic of the Grim Reaper whenever he asked, really only talking about not wanting to disrespect the ancient deity's name or something like that.</p><p>"Indeed. Legends say that the Grim Reaper is the creator of the Ghost Zone, as a haven for ghosts to escape the pain of the physical realm," Frostbite explains. "From there, he created many guides in his name to lead the dead to this realm in order to keep the peace between physical and spectral."</p><p>"So the Grim Reaper is basically the ghost equivalent of God? Gods? Whatever religion actually is in regards to this?" Danny asks.</p><p>"In a sense, I suppose. The Grim Reaper holds not the same power that created reality, but they did create the spectral realm. It was their duty and vision that made this realm what it is, before Pariah Dark came into power and disrupted the balance..." Frostbite elaborates.</p><p>"That guy is always wrecking something in history, isn't he?" Danny mutters, tapping his boot with the bottom of the scythe's pole that holds the blade in place.</p><p>"Pariah Dark's reign changed the ghost zone entirely. He feared the power of those who balanced the realms and ordered them executed, halfa and Reapers alike being snuffed out. The ancient ghosts that ended up banishing the king and locking him away in the sarcophagus the halfa created. They were the ancient beings that banded together to defeat him."</p><p>"There were even other halfas involved in this? There was more out there than just Plasmius and me?" Danny tries excitedly.</p><p>"They're all long dead now, I'm afraid. Plasmius was the first halfa to be formed in the past five thousand years," Frostbite sighs. And what an impression Vlad made. "Though, it may have always been possible, I've never seen the clans of Halfa and Reaper intersect before now."</p><p>Frostbite continues to tell Danny everything he knows, the pair going for a walk around the frozen borders as they talk. The Grim Reaper's descendants were chosen from the souls of humans, and with the realms in balance, they were able to pass knowledge on to their human descendants.</p><p>When Pariah Dark shifted the balance, limiting access to reality, the few Reapers that did remain had no choice but to pass knowledge unto the new-formed ghosts of their descendants instead, if these humans became ghosts at all in the end.</p><p>Thus the history was lost to time, in both the physical and spectral realm. Notes of Reapers only existed in scraps and very few managed to even know about the legacy they were meant to uphold. Frostbite only knew one other descendant of Reapers besides Danny.</p><p>"Wait, WALKER is a Reaper?!" Danny roars indignantly by the time they reach the village again. The boy sputters a few moments, Walker hates his guts! Seriously hates them, like he tried to turn his entire lair against him over a damn anniversary present hates him.</p><p>"I'm afraid so. Though the connections and ties are weak, Walker still has upheld his duty as a Reaper. He punishes those who aimlessly wander into the physical realm with the goal of causing the balance to shift. His duty is to keep the balance and his lair is how he upholds it," Frostbite tells him.</p><p>"Please don't tell me I have to turn out like him," Danny grumbles, his arms slumping.</p><p>"Oh, of course not!" the yeti corrects. "Your rules regarding spirits are your own, it is you who decides what happens to those who enter the physical realm, seeing as you have done not but guard the gates to that realm since your formation, as any Reaper should."</p><p>"So, basically just keep doing what I'm doing," Danny summarizes. "Got it."</p><p>"Indeed. But, if you want any help understanding the powers that come with being a Reaper, Walker is the ghost to confront about the matter. That scythe is only the first step in upholding the Grim Reaper's vision, and more powers will develop, just like the halfa side of your genome." Frostbite pats Danny on the shoulder.</p><p>Though a bit off put by maybe having to seek Walker out himself, Danny can only nod. Usually the other ghost, wait, Reaper, would come to him. And then he'd usually be in a lot of trouble, as the warden is still quite a fair bit more powerful than he is, especially in the ghost zone.</p><p>With his questions answered, Danny thanks Frostbite for his time and heads back in the direction of his home. It gets him wondering if he'd meet a figure like the Grim Reaper, the young halfa twirling his scythe around with a bit more practiced ease. It really is kind of like he's wielding his mother's bo-staff, but with a big as heck blade attached to one end...</p><p>A cold hand suddenly finds its way onto his shoulder. Danny turns around to see Walker standing behind him, nearly jumping out of his jumpsuit seeing the warden. He floats back a few feet and holds the scythe defensively.</p><p>"Hey, punk. You might want to put that down," Walker states in as calm a tone he can manage, though it's obvious that it's strained. "We have a lot to talk about."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If y'all like the Walker being related to Maddie theory like I do, you can say that's where Danny's Reaper genes came from.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Rite of Conquest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rikaleeta</p><p>It's Coronation Day.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He defeated Pariah Dark.</p><p>Danny can feel his hands trembling as the idea tries vainly to cement itself in his head.</p><p>He <b>defeated Pariah Dark.</b></p><p>The halfa can barely comprehend it. The most powerful ghost in the ghost zone lost in combat, to him. To Danny. Danny Fenton, who before all of this was some geeky high school freshman who wanted to be an astronaut. He wanted to be an <i>astronaut.</i> Clearly, fate had other plans for his career path. Very, very different plans.</p><p>He walks out of Pariah's Keep, though with the ghost surrendering to him and fleeing to the furthest edges of the zone it wasn't exactly Pariah's lair anymore... Danny had refused to end the previous ruler's existence no matter how much fight he had. Danny did not end other ghosts, no matter how cruel they are. When Pariah finally surrendered Danny had told the ghost that the win conditions were to atone for his crimes or vanish forever. Clearly, Pariah chose the latter option.</p><p>Danny did what he had to, though. He had to fight Pariah Dark today. The previous king was gearing up for a war to take over the human realm, and Danny wasn't going to sit around and let that happen. So, the halfa took up arms against the evil tyrant. And he won.</p><p>He won. By himself. No ecto-skeleton. No legendary artifacts to make him more powerful. Danny Phantom, an immature cored half ghost, fought Pariah Dark one on one, and defeated him. The reality of it all still really had yet to hit, no matter how many times he repeated it in his head.</p><p>Taking a few more steps outside Pariah's... er... the Keep, its obvious a crowd is waiting for him. Frostbite, Clockwork, Dorathea, Pandora, Wulf... all of his allies are the ones closest to the gates. Relief washes over their expressions one way or another, be it overjoyed enthusiasm like Frostbite's or a knowing grin like Clockwork's.</p><p>Cold arms begin embracing him, before Frostbite lifts Danny onto his shoulders above the crowd of ghosts. The many ghosts about seem to spread around the area like moths to a flame, the area they take up long and distant. Some Danny can recognize, most he really doesn't.</p><p>"Pariah Dark is defeated!" Frostbite calls with a booming roar, the ghosts breaking out into a chorus of haunting cheers, ranging from proper cheering to roars of victory. Even in a place as bleak as the ruins of the Keep, the mood of the ghost zone had not been any more positive.</p><p>Danny can feel the positive energy in his core, hundreds of thousands of ghosts praising him for his victory in time with each other. The power wells up within him, at a rate he doesn't seem to anticipate. His surprised expression morphs to one of a worry as the power in him builds.</p><p>Light energy then bursts forth from his core, shrouding the world around him in the same brilliant radiance. It blinds him for a moment, Danny trying to see through the haze of the blinding energy that leaks out of his core.</p><p>Though as it clears, it's obvious that he's changed. The gloves on his hands become that of icy gauntlets, the form fitting jumpsuit he always wears seeming to grow softer and more silk like. His boots also seemed to have taken an ice like appearance, clouded with a snow white sheen.</p><p>A long cape trails down his back, white on the outside and green within. Adorning his finger is a blue ring, marked with his logo, radiating power. Is this... it can't be. The Ring of Rage is adorned with a skull and is green... isn't it?</p><p>To quell more of his curiosity, Danny pokes around the top of his head, feeling something that wasn't there before. He pulls the object down to inspect it, finding himself holding a crown made of the same ice adorning the gloves, boots and ring.</p><p>He blinks, and moments later, one of Clockwork's medallions is around his neck. Time has stopped in the ghost zone, leaving only Danny and the Master of Time to interact with each other.</p><p>"Clockwork... what is all of this?" he finds himself asking, flexing his fingers. Despite them being covered in clouded ice, they hold the same flexibility as his hazmat gloves that he was wearing prior to the transformation.</p><p>"It's your coronation, Danny Phantom," Clockwork answers. "The ghost zone works in mysterious ways, as do all of time and space. The dimension itself chooses the ruler, and you have just proven yourself worthy of its power."</p><p>"Worthy...?" Danny looks at the crown and ring that had just generated. "Then these are the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage? But they're made of ice, and I don't feel any rage..."</p><p>"Not exactly, but the premise is the same. Being the new king, the dimension itself has fitted your core to two new artifacts of a similar vein. The original crown and ring are useless, as the ones you now wield have taken their power," the ghost of time elaborates.</p><p>"So the ghost zone picked me to be king? Is it, is the ghost zone sentient?" Danny asks, finding himself fiddling with the new ring... the Ring of Pride? He guesses it's the Ring of Pride now, he doesn't really know for sure...</p><p>"Not entirely. The Ghost Zone is an amassed amount of ectoplasm, but it is also its own space. Just as time is connected to the human realm in this world, Space is also impeccably linked between the two realms. And, just like Time, Space also needs a ruler," Clockwork surmises.</p><p>"Wait, so you're telling me that Pariah Dark was the King of Space?!" Danny balks. </p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Does, does that make him the King of Space now? Is he, the kid who always wanted to be an astronaut, literally the king of all of space right now. Holy crap. He's the King of Space. He defeated Pariah Dark and now he's the King of frickin' Space.</p><p>"Don't get too ahead of yourself now," Clockwork chides. "You're the Prince of Space until your core finishes maturing. You have a lot to learn before then."</p><p>"Didn't I just get coronated?" Danny asks in a very confused tone.</p><p>"You're coronated into becoming the ruler of space, that doesn't make you king. You're still far too young and inexperienced to be king. But, I'm sure in due time, you'll learn to be a proper ruler."</p><p>"Oh, okay. Will I even have time to learn how to be a king? I failed social studies because of all my ghost hunting..." Danny mentions.</p><p>"You'll have plenty of time," Clockwork points his staff at the medallion around Danny's neck.</p><p>"Oh, right... heh, good one," the halfa chuckles, putting the crown back on top of his head.</p><p>With that, Time returns to moving again, as Frostbite prattles on about a great feast in honor of the Darksbane Halfa. The ghosts continue cheering loudly in turn.</p><p>Through it all, Danny feels the faint flutter of a new presence, something all encompassing around him. He hasn't felt this before, but it still feels eerie and familiar all at the same time. Danny stares up at the voided sky of the Ghost Zone curiously, drowning out the sound.</p><p>The void stares back, and Danny could almost swear it was smiling fondly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Ghosts Are Supposed to be Creepy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sylph Feather</p><p>I think it would be interesting to see Danny’s phantom form either more monstrous from the get go, or become monstrous in some way, and people's reactions to that</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Proud member of the Danny is sharp gang. And I'm not talking about smarts.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It started with the fangs.</p><p>Danny hadn't really noticed them until the other ghosts pointed them out for him. He'd happened to give a wide smirk during an invasion, to which one of the ghosts noted that he "only has his new form fangs in." He tried not to let it distract him while rounding up the last few ghosts. With the thermos now capped, Danny reattaches it to his belt before becoming intent on finding the nearest mirror.</p><p>He doesn't like what he sees. The back of Danny's tongue licks at the sharp protrusions that have seemingly replaced his four front teeth, two on the top, and two on the bottom. His tail twitches nervously behind him as he looks in the mirror of the public restroom, somewhat glad that no one's come in and watched him observe his own off putting jaw.</p><p>But what the ghosts had told him was true; he has fangs. Fangs like monsters do. Monsters like vampires and wolves and beasts... things that aren't human. Those are the things that have fangs. But Danny's still half human, right? Still human on the inside?</p><p>It's when terror strikes him, the cold realization. Plasmius has fangs. Plasmius has four sharp, intimidating fangs, and that guy is an evil frootloop. Four sharp fangs, two on the top, two on the bottom. Just like the new ones Danny keeps trying to deny he has.</p><p>The fangs are only the first change. For one day a couple days later, Danny finds himself scratching the back of his neck, and his forearm catches on something. Danny pulls his hand away, feeling the odd shape, and to his horror, realizes it's his ear.</p><p>"Jazz.... I think there's something wrong with my ears," Danny confesses to his sister, the echoing undertones of his voice from being in spectral form ringing in said ears. His sister walks closer to inspect the area he pointed out, cupping his cheek as she does so.</p><p>"Well, you're ears are a bit different, but I don't think the change is going to affect your health," she finally deduces, a bit awe struck herself.</p><p>"What's wrong with them?!" Danny demands, desperation in his green eyes.</p><p>"Nothing major, little brother. They're just pointed is all, you know like Vlad's ghost half," Jazz points out casually. Although Danny is less then calm at the thought of that. Jazz just thinks he's overreacting to the changes, but that does little to quell the thoughts running through his head.</p><p>One day, Danny holds out his hands, only to find that his gloves are torn up. The blast he was trying to fire at Plasmius fizzles out in that instant, leaving him wide open to receiving a hot pink counterattack in the chest.</p><p>Danny gets knocked to the ground, holding his arms out in front of him as he tumbles. The things that had caused him to falter leave scrapes in the dirt and concrete below, proving just how sharp they are. After all, it's pretty easy to notice when one grows claws.</p><p>Danny can't even see the tips of his fingers anymore, the sharp nail overtaking the entire tip of each digit. It's obvious that they had torn through his gloves, causing him to become distracted. After all, humans didn't grow claws. Monsters did.</p><p>Vlad lands a few feet away from Danny, the boy scrambling to cover up his monstrous claws by hiding them under his chest. Big mistake, because he really just ends up recoiling and creating ten different holes around the chest of his jumpsuit. Luckily, he didn't puncture himself.</p><p>For once, Plasmius has an expression that genuinely softens. "Now Daniel, there's no need to be ashamed of these changes-"</p><p>"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Danny roars at the other halfa, unaware that he had released a ghostly wail until Vlad had been blown back a good ten feet, and all the windows around that area had either shattered or cracked.</p><p>"Daniel-"</p><p>"Shut up! Just shut up! I'm nothing like you! I'll never be like you!" Danny yells, barely restraining a second wail. "I'm not a monster! I don't have claws, or fangs, or stupid pointed ears or anything! I'm still human damn it, I'm not a monster! I'm not like you! I'm not!"</p><p>Danny stares at his hands again, tears welling in his eyes. No matter how much he tried to deny it, the claws would not go away. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, his ears were still pointed upward. No matter how desperately he tries to deny it, the fangs in his maw are still there.</p><p>Danny blinks, feeling his skin grow cold as ice as he runs away without looking back at Vlad.</p><p>His skin is blue now. His eyes are different. His face shines a neon blue now, green eyes in where the whites and pupils have vanished. He looks like a Plasmius-ified version of himself now. Ice blue skin, glowing green eyes... a monster. He's a monster, a freak, and a disgrace. Half Human? Not looking like this he is.</p><p>He transforms back into his "human" form, and the changes still linger. His teeth are sharper than they should be. His nails are more pointy than they should be. His skin is paler than it should be, his eyes are brighter than they should be.</p><p>Everything about him is wrong.</p><p>But the people around him would just say he's overreacting.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Open Position</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cyroclastic</p><p>Danny gets kidnapped by the giw but instead of “very painful experiments” He unexpectedly gets offered a job</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny tugs insistently at the anti-ghost cuffs keeping his hands bound together, unable to fire any ecto energy from them. His legs are in a similar situation, as he tries to tug and pull at the restraints with all his might. It's no good, as he remains hunched against the wall he was just shot into.</p><p>"Are you sure we should have done that?" One of the men in white suits asks, they look to be new. "I'm pretty sure all that did was piss him off, he's not going to listen if we treat him like a captive..."</p><p>Danny agrees with the new guy. He is pissed off in this situation, mostly because an organization that's wanted him destroyed for years has him tied up, powerless and stuck against a wall. This isn't the kind of scenario that makes him willing to listen.</p><p>"Affirmative, but reports on previous attempts have always ended in failure. Phantom is what one would call flighty, and he wouldn't stick around long enough without this protocol in place," another, older agent states. They sound more feminine, nice to know it isn't just bulky dudes in stupid sunglasses in that organization.</p><p>Still, Danny can't help but agree. He would rather not be within fifty feet of the Ghost Investigation Wing, otherwise known as the GIW. With all their reckless stunts in trying to "cleanse the world of ghosts for the greater good," Danny would really rather stay as far the hell away from them as he can.</p><p>Footsteps approach the halfa, the boy no more than a sitting duck as he tries harder to get the restraints off before he can get carted off to some lab and dissected. The shadows of the agents loom from the alleyway as they grow closer still, Danny powerless to escape.</p><p>"You see, I told you he would be pissed," the newbie mutters, watching Danny struggle through the dumb pair of sunglasses.</p><p>"Better him pissed than not here at all. We've been trying to get a hold of him for months, X. Due to the change in jurisdiction, we need him," the taller agent, who's probably a girl, mentions to the newbie with a hiss.</p><p>Because of course they need him. For questioning, and lots and lots of painful experiments. What else would they want him for if not as a lab rat, some toy to take apart and put back together again?</p><p>"He's really pissed, H. We should probably let him go before he gets back at us...." the newbie, Agent X Danny supposes, turns to their superior. He can feel the tension and desperation radiating off of them.</p><p>It's one of his more unconscious powers, his ability to sense an aura. The aura of ghosts were cold, and thus they send shivers up his spine when a ghost's aura grows near to him. The aura of living things were more vibrant, colorful, warm. And with the aura of the living came the emotions they radiate, such is the uncertainty Danny feels coming from Newbie X.</p><p>Though he can't sense anything from the other agent. Not a single thing.</p><p>That usually only happens around hybrid ghosts like him. Auras that are neither hot nor cold, gray nor vibrant. The aura of a halfa like himself seemed to be at an absolute neutral, any changes undetectable by his powers and senses.</p><p>It's what scares him the most when dealing with Vlad. Other ghosts he can sense coming, their cold auras shocking his system and alerting him. He finds comfort in the warm and colorful auras of humans as long as they aren't out to get him. Vlad's aura is just blank, the frequency of the neutral balance unable to create a blip on his radar. Invisible, meaning Danny never knows when he's coming.</p><p>It's the same for Danielle. He never felt her enter his room the first time they met. He never felt her arrival back in Amity Park when she returned to him for help. Even random chance visits come as a surprise to him, his young cousin always managing to sneak up on him.</p><p>What does that mean for the woman in front of him, dressed in the stupid white suit characteristic to the enemies of ghosts? Because no matter how hard he tries, the agent's aura is a clean, blank slate. Neither hot or cold... no... no that can't have...</p><p>But Danny can't deny the possibility. The only halfas in the world are all involved with ghosts. Ghosts and portals. It brings his hazy mind back to that one incident, where the GIW tried to commandeer his parent's portal to blow up the Ghost Zone.</p><p>And if they tried to make their own portal to do that after the first failed attempt...</p><p>"Judging by the look on your face, I'm supposing you get what we're here for," the taller woman, Agent H, surmises. She steps a few paces closer to Danny and kneels next to him.</p><p>"I can't sense your aura," Danny states, still keeping defensive of the woman before him. Just because she's maybe-a-halfa doesn't make her trustworthy. It makes her more dangerous if that's the case, a weapon placed right into the hands of the GIW.</p><p>"I can't sense yours either," she responds, something startlingly white flaring under her tacky sunglasses. "Now then, will you stick around long enough for us to talk?"</p><p>"How do I know you're not going to do anything? The jerks in white already made you, how do I know they aren't planning to make people like us into super weapons for their insane schemes!" Danny hisses at her in turn, unconsciously baring his fangs while his eyes glow brighter.</p><p>The agent stops and stares a moment. "You haven't heard about the changes in polices yet, have you?"</p><p>"Changes?" Danny questions skeptically. As if the GIW would change. The likelihood of that would be around the same as his mother suddenly running up his ghost half and giving Phantom a big hug out of love and admiration while Valerie adopts Cujo as a pet at the same time. So, practically impossible.</p><p>"Yes... a year ago, the Ghost Investigation Wing split into two separate factions. The one's that wanted to stay true to the goal of investigating ghostly anomalies, and well, the faction you must be more familiar with. Those who despise the existence of ghosts," the agent explains.</p><p>"So you're telling me there was a spit between the actually decent members of the GIW and the people who just want to tear ghosts apart for science? For real? A whole year ago?" Danny tilts his head. He'd been a halfa for five years up to this point, and yet in all his experience in the past one, he's never seen wind of this change. Must be the avoiding the organization like the plague thing.</p><p>"Yes. Although the Ghost Investigation Wing remains under government authority, the gang of ruffians planning to dispel ghosts are now working against the law. In the year in which we changed tactics, the investigation wing has discovered so much more about ghosts than when we were just blindly hunting them. The Anti-Ecto Control Act has been given many amendments in private as a result," Agent H explains.</p><p>"So then why am I handcuffed if you're just here to investigate?" Danny continues to remain skeptical. He's learned not to go off the word of some government official.</p><p>"I'm here to offer you a position, but I didn't want you flying away on me. You've managed to do so every time we've attempted to talk, and using my spectral form to grab the attention of one who constantly fights ghosts off his territory would not be a very smart move," Agent H elaborates. "I have no intentions of holding you here. Even this is pushing the limits of the new Ectoplasmic Control Act."</p><p>"So they seriously changed the laws about ghosts? You're not pulling my leg here?" Danny leans in closer to try and read the woman's expression under those dark glasses.</p><p>"Yes, I can give you a photocopied version after I release you, as long as you promise not to share the information. Even if we only investigate ghosts, it's pivotal the world not learn of their existence. Such information would cause mass panic after all." Agent H pulls out a packet of sealed papers from her clipboard, marked with fancy government seals and signatures.</p><p>"Alright, I'll bite. What do you want?" Danny huffs up at the pair sarcastically.</p><p>Agent X seems to light up, pulling out a business card and putting it in Danny's lap. In turn, Agent H releases the restraints holding him against the ground.</p><p>Brushing himself off, Danny looks at the card he had been handed, before his eyes widen. It's more of a "we're hiring" announcement than a business card, littered in confidential phone numbers and the like. </p><p>"I made it myself!" Agent X declares proudly, puffing out their chest. "A special card, just for Danny Phantom! I've... I've always been kind of a fan..."</p><p>Danny looks at the card again. What the card is implying is still a bit baffling. "You want to hire me?"</p><p>"I've only been a half ghost since the split. In fact, it was for my sake that the company split in the first place. I was a high ranking official back when the GIW was still the one you remember it as. The portal we created changed a lot for us, but there's still so much we do not understand. You, on the other hand, are one of the most capable and skilled ghost hunters in recorded history. The information you could provide us with could keep the word safe, and even expose the traitors that split from us," offers Agent H.</p><p>"So you want information, and someone else to track down the sickos out there still intent on making screwed up decisions?" Danny summarizes.</p><p>"Exactly. We can offer any salary that you wish in exchange for your assistance. The goals of the new Ghost Investigation Wing are of a different alignment, one of peace and communication with ghosts, rather than hunting and science. That's all we ask."</p><p>Danny ponders a minute. He's heard that government jobs make a lot of money, and with his lack of a sound high school diploma after flunking horridly, he might just need the cash. Still. this is the GIW we're talking about, right? Have they really changed as much as these two claim to have.</p><p>"I don't know if I can trust you just yet," Danny admits. "But, I might be willing to work alongside you if what you say is true. I and my team have been independent ghost hunters since our debut, and we'd rather not put ourselves under someone else's name."</p><p>"Understandable," Agent H agrees. "With your attitude from earlier, I suppose I should have expected this. How about a collaboration instead? As long as you and your team continue to upkeep your ghost hunting schedule, we can negotiate grants toward your efforts, as well as set up an anonymous account as to where you can receive the money from these grants. We won't need any personal information in that regard."</p><p>"Government grants for my ghost hunting, huh?" Danny reiterates.</p><p>"Yep!' Agent X nods excitedly.</p><p>"And this doesn't come with any strings?" He presses.</p><p>"Nope! No strings attached!" the younger agent nods happily.</p><p>"Bonus if I find the guys doing screwed up illegal things?"</p><p>"Absolutely!"</p><p>Danny looks between the younger agent and the woman that's also a halfa. For government agents, they at least seem to be genuine. None of that crap about the control act, sections and subsections. Compared to the last run in with the GIW, it certainly looks like there's been a change.</p><p>Tentatively, Danny reaches out a hand for a handshake with Agent H. The other takes it in her gloved hand, the pair shaking on the deal. Danny finds another card on it with instructions reading about how to set up and receive the grants for his work.</p><p>When he looks up again, the pair of agents have vanished. He looks around before face-palming.</p><p>"Right, ghost powers. How do I keep forgetting that part?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Some notes about the new agents if anyone wants to use them.</p><p>Agent X: Is non-binary, uses they/them. A huge Phantom fan, joined the new GIW recently for the hopes of being like Phantom and doing the things that the hero does. Gained this idolization after being saved from a ghost attack that nearly took their life.</p><p>Agent H: Is a halfa, with white eyes and a gray suit in ghost form. Sunglasses are also white in ghost form. Previous head of the science center for the GIW, became a halfa when the experimental portal exploded on her while activating. Leads the reformed version if the Ghost Investigation Wing, which prioritizes ethical studying over hunting and invasive experiments.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Since the Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dalv Co Official</p><p>How does Mr. Lancer find out that Danny is Phantom?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>William Lancer thought he was seeing thing at first.</p><p>Then again, if would explain how Mr. Fenton and Mr. Foley got out of his office, despite its only entrance being watched by Mr. Baxter. Although, he could still barely believe his eyes. Right before him, Danny had transformed back from a misty looking figure in black, still holding the same thermos the creature was. Was that creature Danny?</p><p>Still, as a result of whatever that creature did, there's now meat coating the school courtyard, probably already rotting and completely inedible. If that creature really was Mr. Fenton, then...</p><p>"I think I finally figured out what these powers are for..." Danny tells his friends, with a bit of a smile on his face.</p><p>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! So that misty being was Mr. Fenton. How long has his student had supernatural powers? When did he acquire them? What did they do to him?</p><p>"They make me-" Danny freezes as Lancer puts a hand on his shoulder. The teacher can question his pupil later. Right now, the school courtyard his covered in rapidly expiring food product and the boy before him clearly had a hand in it, putting him, well...</p><p>"-in a world of trouble," Lancer finishes for him, the boy before him growing very tense and guilty. His friends a little ways away grow tense as well, the entire group responsible, being it protesting or whatever Danny had done to make a giant blob of meat explode all over the school.</p><p>The fitting punishment is to get the trio to clean up the mess they made. So, with a few brooms and access to the school dumpster, he puts the three to work. It's prudent that students know to clean up the messes they make. At least there's still some edible food around, and he missed dinner supervising the kids, so he takes a hearty bite of the drumstick that was spared from the carnage.</p><p>Although seeing Dash laugh at the trio while they work is a bit disconcerting. He turns around to try and and tell Mr. Baxter to mind his own business, only for the boy to suddenly be swamped by the meat previously placed in the dumpster. Mr. Fenton has his hand on the rim, smirking about something.</p><p>Lancer doesn't know if he'll ever be comfortable with the information that one of his students has supernatural powers.</p><p>From then on, things got even more complicated.</p><p>Danny's grades began slipping since that day. Lancer gave him plenty of opportunities to make up for whatever these powers began entailing, including the biology project, the studying for his English midterm exam, time in detention to give him opportunities he'd been missing at home.</p><p>As "Inviso-Bill" becomes a more popular figure, Lancer recognizes the specter as Danny, the same misty figure that he'd seen that day on the campus. So the boy is ghost hunting with these supernatural... ghost like powers? Sure, his parents were in the business, but perhaps it's a bit too much for someone his age.</p><p>When the answer sheet for the CAT goes missing, despite it being locked at his side the entire time, he knows exactly who to blame. He also knows that this ghost hunting thing has gone much too far for Lancer to handle.</p><p>He confronts Jazz in his office to talk about it, knowing that confronting Danny would achieve nothing, or even make the situation worse for him. Jasmine is someone who might be able to get through to him without damaging him further.</p><p>The door to his office opens, and Jazz peeks her head in. She takes a few steps and stands by his desk. "You wanted to talk to me, Mr. Lancer?"</p><p>"Thank you for coming Jasmine, please have a seat," Lancer offers, sitting down at his desk and folding his arms over top of it. Jazz sits in one of the chairs in front of him, looking confused.</p><p>"I wanted to start by telling you that the answers to the freshman year's CAT have been stolen, and I highly suspect your brother is behind it," Lancer offers Jazz softly, showing her the open briefcase with the answers in it.</p><p>"What makes you think Danny took the test answers?" Jazz replies skeptically.</p><p>"Well, call it a hunch. The answers have been on my person since administration finished the mock up for this year's exam. So, unless your brother can <i>pass invisibly through solid objects</i>, well, I have no way to find out if he did take them," Lancer tells her.</p><p>Jazz pales in realization of what he's implying. So, it's obvious that Danny's sister is at least somewhat in on her brother's secret. A reassuring thought to be sure, Jazz can help Danny better as a member of the family than he feels he thinks he can as a teacher.</p><p>When the day of the CAT does arrive, Lancer is both surprised and relieved that Danny owned up to his mistake and returned the answers.</p><p>"The seal is broken...." Lancer notes as he inspects the returned envelope.</p><p>"I'm sorry... I couldn't stop myself from peeking at the answers to the test..." Danny admits slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.</p><p>"Thank you for telling me, Danny. I'll make sure to give you plenty of opportunity to study, so you can take a make-up exam next week," Lancer promises with a smile. He instructs Danny to wait outside while his other classmates finish their own exams, so he doesn't inadvertently distract them.</p><p>Lancer continues smiling as he plans the make-up exam. Yet another cheat he's creating in Danny's favor. He may have told the boy that there were no cheat codes in life, but he wants his students to succeed. Danny is just facing too many complications for the time being to have proper learning accommodations. So, Lancer will do what he has to, to make sure Danny can be given the same oppertunity as his classmates.</p><p>And when the day comes, Lancer hopes Danny will go out into the world filled with the knowledge required for him to make himself successful in life, supernatural powers or not. Nothing would make him any prouder.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. It's Going to be Okay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anthrop</p><p>Somebody close to Danny is killed in a fight or accident and comes back as a ghost. How sad this gets is anybody's game.</p><p>Author's Note: Really fukkin sad.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warnings!<br/><b>Major Character Death, a lot of angst and mourning.</b></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny stares at the tombstone for a long time, trying to convince himself that this isn't real.</p><p>He'd been at this charade for months. This wasn't happening. He was just having another nightmare, and one day he would wake up to him walking into his room, excited to show him the latest invention, and blather on about ghosts, and then the two would share fudge ice cream together.</p><p>The car accident never happened. The funeral never happened. His father isn't dead.</p><p>His father isn't dead!</p><p>But the slab of rock in front of him says otherwise.</p><p>It was inevitable. The comments around town all seemed to say the same thing, that his reckless driving would get him killed one day. Well, now it had, and Jack Fenton would not be coming back. No matter how hard Danny wanted to deny it, it was the truth.</p><p>His father would always talk about going out in a blaze of glory, making the Fenton name proud by fighting the most dangerous specters and taking each other down in an awe inspiring display. His father wanted to die a hero.</p><p>Well, he went out in a blaze, but it wasn't one of heroic actions. No, a stupid oncoming truck carrying hundreds of liters of gasoline collided with him. There was barely even any bodies to identify when the smoke cleared, and the sick smell of burning oils took a long time before finally becoming bearable enough to investigate.</p><p>Danny clenches his fists, staring at the tombstone with his father's name on it. How badly he wanted to deny the truth. The world had grown so much quieter without his father in it. The silence had become unbearable.</p><p>Every day, he begged and pleaded for a sign, for his father to burst in and make one of his hyperbolic alliterations in declaration for a paranormal attack. Part of him even wanted to hear his father shouting from the window about tearing him apart molecule by molecule. Something, anything to bring an end to the silent void left in the wake of his father's death.</p><p>It's a hopeless endeavor. His father isn't as lucky as he is. When you're dead, you're dead. No bullshit miracles about coming back to life with superpowers. The universe would never give his father the same chance it had given him. He's dead.</p><p>Auto-Jack had been deleted from the A.I of the Ops Center. His mother had taken the time to re-record the lines for the security system. Weapons like the Jack-O-Nine-Tails were stored away in the weapons vault, probably never to see the light of day...</p><p>Jazz had told them through the tears that they shouldn't forget everything Jack had done around the house, but for now, if the security system were to activate, it would do more harm than good in terms of everyone healing. Danny still was in deep denial of his father's death, not participating in any of the re-writing process.</p><p>He doesn't want to cry. His father wouldn't want him to cry. But the longer he stares at the tombstone, the more sorely tempted he is to burst into tears.</p><p>He never even got to tell him the truth. It's one of his most deep regrets. He'd been lying to his father for years now, and he never got to tell him the truth, even though he sorely deserved to know it. Danny wanted to tell him one day, he could never find the right time... but now, it's too late to tell him.</p><p>Jack Fenton died, not knowing that the son he knew was a living lie.</p><p>"I was a terrible person toward you, even though you're my father...." Danny mutters to the open air. "All I did was lie to you and drag your name through the mud, even though I claimed to love you. I'm a failure as a son, and I never even got to say goodbye."</p><p>His fists grip harder, his nails threatening to break open the skin of his palms as his eyes water. He doesn't want to cry. "I'm nothing but a terrible person, I'm not even human, I should have told you I changed, maybe then I wouldn't have failed you..."</p><p>Danny shivers, though he's unable to tell if he's cold or just trying to keep the tears from spilling. Blue mist leaks from his lips a moment later, turning his sadness into unbridled rage at the thought of a ghost attack happening now of all times.</p><p>He bares his fangs, growling as he transforms and turns around with an ectoblast ready to deck whatever moronic spirit dare interrupt his mourning. Although as he turns around, the blast fizzles out in his hands, bright orange overtaking his vision with the ghost standing behind him.</p><p>The specter in question stares with wide eyes back at Danny, neither daring to move as they take the other in. The silent void continues to permeate the area as ghost and halfa stare with unbelieving eyes. Neither has the ability to speak.</p><p>The orange ghost floats closer, but Danny doesn't move away, frozen in place by some unknown feeling. He lets the new ghost get closer and closer, not even moving an inch until they're towering over him, taking a closer look.</p><p>When Danny can move, he lunges forward, embracing the ghost of his father. Wet sobs leak from him as his gloves grip the back of the ectoplasmic jumpsuit. Danny just cries and cries, bawling his eyes out as two cold arms wrap around his back in turn.</p><p>"It's okay son... I'm home now, I'm here now," Jack's voice echoes, much softer than Danny had ever heard in his life, echoing slightly with the paranormal energy.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I never wanted to *hic* to lie to you, I'm so sorry," Danny whimpers, refusing to let go of his father's spirit.</p><p>Jack rubs his son's back comfortingly. "It's okay, Danno. You're okay. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, I had to get passed your mother..." the ghost chuckles dejectedly.</p><p>"M-mom attacked you?" Danny shudders at the thought. His mother pointing a blaster at the ghost of his father, aiming to destroy... He could barely comprehend the thought.</p><p>"At first, yeah. Then your sister came in and convinced her to stop. That Jazzy, always looking out for her old man," Jack smiles. The jovial expression was one Danny missed so dearly, the smile bringing comfort and reassurance to him.</p><p>"Thank goodness," Danny mutters into his father's jumpsuit. "Sorry for almost shooting you, too..."</p><p>"Aw, it's nothing son. Water under the bridge. Just shows you're more in the family biz than you let on, and that's totally okay!" Jack pats him on the back.</p><p>Danny makes a wobbly smile in turn, tears still leaking down his cheeks. He's just happy his father is here. He doesn't care that his father is a ghost, it would be highly hypocritical to reject his father on those principals, being half ghost himself.</p><p>He leans against his father again, happy that he's still around, that he's not gone forever.</p><p>"I'm sorry..." he repeats, beginning to sound like a broken record. Danny doesn't believe any amount of apology would be able to make up what he'd done to his father.</p><p>"Oh, Danny-o. There's nothing to be sorry about," Jack tells him in turn, ruffling his snow white hair.</p><p>"What?" Danny blinks back up at him, owlish green eyes still rimmed and dark from crying so hard.</p><p>"There's nothing to be sorry about, son," Jack repeats. "I'm proud of you. You're a bang up ghost hunter, son. It makes me proud to think back on all the times I've seen you with this new light, using your amazing powers for the greater good... what's not to like about that?"</p><p>"But, but I lied to you!" Danny counters. "I lied to you for years, and I made you and mom look like fools, and all the things I've done to keep you from knowing... I don't deserve your praise, I'm an awful human being... and I'm not even a human."</p><p>Jack hugs Danny close again. "Danno, you don't need to go beating yourself up like that. You're still my son, ghost, boy or something in between, you know that, right? Besides, we're not complete fools if you make a joke out of every ghost hunter coming after us."</p><p>His father elbows him playfully, Danny taking a moment to dry his tears. He sniffles, the waterfall still coming despite his efforts. He leans against his father's side, letting the ghost rub his head and comfort him as he cries.</p><p>"Say, Danny. Do you know how to find a place that makes ghost food? I could go for some fudge right now, and you look like you could use some too," Jack smiles somberly.</p><p>"Y-yeah... sweets sound amazing right now. I'm... I'm sure we can make some ghost fudge or something," Danny replies.</p><p>"We can make it ourselves! You better bring your mother a recipe, because I'm planning on staying a long while yet! ...if the lair master would have me," Jack admits sheepishly.</p><p>"Of course! St-stay as long as you like!" Danny quickly affirms, sniffling again. "Amity Park is completely open to ghosts that don't go causing to much trouble! Though that doesn't happen very often if I'm being honest."</p><p>"I'll try to be on my best behavior, son. You have my word!" Jack ruffles Danny's hair again.</p><p>Danny smiles in turn. Although he looks downtrodden a moment later. "...we should probably let mom know about the halfa thing... I'm afraid of how she'll take it..."</p><p>"Don't say that, Danno. If your mother can accept me as a full ghost, she'll accept you as a half ghost. I wouldn't worry too much," Jack reassures. "Besides, you can't teach me any cool ghost stuff if your mother doesn't know what's going on."</p><p>"You really think so? Wait, teach you...?" Danny tilts his head.</p><p>"Of course! I've been a ghost for a week, and could use some pointers. You seem to be the expert in the field son, so I'd love some pointers."</p><p>"R-right. I'll be sure to teach you everything I know," Danny replies in turn. "But first, we kind of have to talk to mom. I guess I should call Jazz and have her soften mom up for the blow..."</p><p>"You're sister always was the observant one in the family, I'll giver that," Jack chuckles. Already the void of silence seemed to be closing up. </p><p>Still, Danny can't just forget the truth. His father is still dead, but his ghost had come back to the living. And, even if his father is dead, he isn't gone forever. The world is to quiet without his father in it, so he's glad that he's home. It's the best outcome one could hope for, even if his heart still aches.</p><p>Now then, he's put off telling the rest of his family long enough. He doesn't want to live with any more regrets like this from now on. They would get through this together, finally, as the family they were always meant to be.</p><p>Ghost weirdness was nothing new to a Fenton, after all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Bright Blue Hair / Glowing Red Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lexipiper</p><p>Wes Weston, self-proclaimed teenage spectral detective and town-renowned conspiracy theorist, accidentally gets caught in a malfunctioning Fenton Ghost Portal.<br/>To say he's unimpressed when he wakes up dead is an understatement.<br/>(AKA Wes unintentionally becomes a halfa. Chaos ensues.)</p><p>Authors Note: You know I had to do at least one halfa prompt</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wes Weston, one of the most renowned conspiracy theorists (although he prefers the term Spectral Detective) in Amity Park.</p><p>It's been two years since high school, and he still wasn't any closer to proving to the world that Danny Fenton is a ghost. He had been attempting to since Freshman Year with very little success, but being out of school would not keep him from achieving his goal.</p><p>He'd given up basketball in pursuit of a detective career, ironically finding a calling in his attempts to expose his own worst enemy. That Phantom wouldn't be getting away with pulling the entire town around for his own gain much longer, and soon that specter would be eating out of HIS hand. Just you wait, Phantom, soon the world will be exposed to your secrets!</p><p>After all, Wes had finally found the most damning evidence of all. Phantom's foul secret base.</p><p>It was well hidden, Wes will give the ghost that. The location was subtle, being hidden just below the large hill located just on the edge of town, the elevator to the entrance disguised as a fake tree. Under the false bark lies an automatic metal door that would take Wes right to where he need to go.</p><p>With his trusty camera in place around his neck, Wes wedges the door open and slips inside, unannounced to that Phantom and it's awful troupe of followers. The elevator slides down the metallic tube into the larger space residing deeper underground, before opening into the actual secret base itself.</p><p>Wes instantly starts snapping pictures of the surrounding area. The heavy metallic walls make it look like a creepy villain lair, or some sort of bat cave, either way it's that Phantom's disgusting work. All of it will soon be documented and used as evidence to finally rid this town of the worst ghost of them all.</p><p>*snap!* *snap!* *snap!*</p><p>The click of the camera brings satisfaction to the aspiring detective. Each documented photo brought him closer to the goal he's been chasing for five long years. All his hard work would pay off today, and no one will be able to deny the facts.</p><p>As Wes walks deeper into the Phantom Cave of sorts, he can hear the metal whirring and magnetic forces pulling on the elevator. Phantom must be coming.</p><p>Looking left and right, Wes quickly dashes into a relatively empty room with a very convenient hole in the wall. He leans against the wall and holds his breath as the movement and footsteps of multiple people echo in the corridors.</p><p>"-worry. This isn't like mom and dad's portal, the button is on the outside for a reason." Phantom's voice. Wes would know that spectral echo anywhere. "Aside from that, everything on the blueprints we, er... borrowed from them is one to one."</p><p>"Right. And once we have our own portal working, we won't have to risk our hides sneaking into Fentonworks all the time to release our catches," another voice chimes in as the steps grow closer. Wes guesses it's Tucker Foley, one of Phantom's supporters.</p><p>"Exactly. No more risking my secret because we go in the lab at the wrong time. Having our own portal to monitor is the best way to take care of this. Now, everyone make sure to stay they hell away from the portal frame and we should be fine," Phantom finishes, approaching the wall. </p><p>Wes holds his breath, if the ghost looks inside this large hole, he's as good as caught. </p><p>That's his last thought before the press of a button just beyond the frame of the portal turns his world green.</p><p>-</p><p>"...up...."</p><p>"Dude... wake up...."</p><p>"Can't.... happened again..."</p><p>"I think... coming to."</p><p>A cacophony of voices bring Wes back to consciousness. His everything hurts, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Everything in him stings in the worst of ways, causing him to groan. The muttering of voices do not help his killer headache.</p><p>"He is awake, oh thank the ancients," Jazz sighs with relief. A crowd of Phantom's supporters hover over him as they take in his prone form, laid out on one of the beds in the base's medical room. He can vaguely spot Phantom's visage in the background.</p><p>His heart starts racing as rage fills him. Phantom must have seen him in there and activated whatever knocked him out! That malicious ghost, he was going to get it for this!</p><p>Wes starts sitting up despite the pain, and the trio of humans around him telling him to lie back down because he was still recovering, but he doesn't care. Phantom is going to pay, Phantom is going to pay for this!</p><p>As he sits up to go take on that stupid Phantom, something becomes apparently clear. His body is wrong. His body is very wrong.</p><p>"What in the ever-loving hell did you do to me, Phantom?!" Wes roars at the ghost across the room. His voice is wrong now, sounding more like a spectral snarl. Everything is wrong, wrong, wrong and that impostor ghost just a few feet away from him.</p><p>"I really need to stop pressing portal buttons," Phantom replies in turn. "All I ever do is make more halfas."</p><p>"Danny! That's insensitive! He could have died in there!" Jazz barks at her brother, or at least the ghost impersonating him. </p><p>Phantom just huffs in turn. "He'll live, mostly. It was his fault for sticking his nose in our business again, you can't blame me."</p><p>"You're not even going to help him? He has ghost powers now, and it'll be a walking disaster if he can't get them under control!" Jazz growls back at her brother. She walks over to him, but Danny only turns his back to her with another huff.</p><p>"He walked in on us, he broke into our base without our permission or consent, he gets what he deserves, he'll live," Phantom rants in turn.</p><p>Wes moves to finally go give that ghost a piece of his mind, when the lower half of his body seems to grow alarmingly numb. He trips over the numb feeling, moving through the bed and onto the floor, no through the floor. His body is now halfway through the floor.</p><p>"What the actual hell?!" the new-formed halfa screams, putting his arms on the ground and trying to pull himself back out of the ground. This isn't a damn video-game, why the hell is he clipping through the damn floor all of a sudden?!</p><p>Unless...</p><p>No, no way in hell. He isn't dead, he isn't dead! He can feel his heartbeat in his ears and he has to breathe, he's clearly still alive, right? Then why the hell is his lower body phased halfway though the damn floor! What the hell did that damn Phantom do to him?!</p><p>"You're being a baby," Phantom finally huffs at him, reluctantly moving over to help Wes get out of the ground. In turn, Wes smacks the gloved hand away with a snarl, an actual inhuman snarl. This stupid ghost was going to pay, as he keeps telling himself.</p><p>"Stay the hell away from me, freak!" Wes barks, still trying to pull himself out of the ground. He's stuck tight, and the metal floor really wasn't giving.</p><p>"You know, your new core doesn't have that long a battery life yet," Phantom mentions offhandedly. "If you turn human while you're still stuck in the floor, it's gonna hurt like a bitch. All your organs are gonna solidify with the dirt phasing through your hips right now and it won't be pleasant."</p><p>"The hell do you know, bastard!" Wes spits at him. He's not going to listen to the advice of that freak, he refuses!</p><p>Although what he's talking about has merit a mere second later, as green rings form at his waist and split. The lower half of Wes's body feels like it's being crushed and the boy lets out a blood curdling scream from the pain.</p><p>Phantom grabs his arms with a grip that clearly brokers no argument, before a cold feeling overtakes him. The ghost drags his screaming form out of the floor, leaving the dirt, rocks and metal behind. He screams a while longer and takes heavy breaths to realign his balance. Phantom releases his hand a moment later.</p><p>Wes brushes himself off with a glare directed at his impromptu savior. His body had stopped glowing and his voice had stopped sounding inhuman and weird, so it looked like the effects of whatever was done to him have worn off. Thank goodness for small miracles.</p><p>With everything dusted off and taken care of, Wes moves to make due on his promise and dashes at Phantom to punch him in the face. Quick as lightning, Phantom catches the oncoming fist in his palm, slowly turning to Wes with a less than happy expression. He tries to jerk his arm free from the clawed and icy grip, to no avail.</p><p>"You don't want to be my enemy, especially after what's happened to you," Phantom warns darkly, his eyes a blazing green that sears his soul.</p><p>A shiver goes up Wes' spine, a clear feeling of Phantom being the one in charge taking over every other feeling in his chest, making him feel like an intruder on the other's space in a way he'd never felt before. Phantom is more powerful, stay in your place.</p><p>These new feelings only cause Wes to grow more confused, and frankly scared of whatever the hell is happening to him. Although something tells him that Phantom knows, he'd rather not seek help from such a creature, a freak.</p><p>But with the floating, the glowing and the unexplained phasing that had all happened in succession, an even more grim realization begins to surface. It's the only explanation, to everything.</p><p>Why Phantom can mimic a human so well, why his friends and sister still hang around him despite him being a ghost. Why he started glowing and phasing, why his voice is wrong, why his body is wrong, why he's saddled with these new, feral instincts he never had before now.</p><p>There's such a thing as a LIVING ghost. Phantom is still alive, even if only partly. And he himself is dead, even just a little bit.</p><p>So many questions begin running through Wes' head at a mile a minute, the boy unable to truly comprehend the realization that he's the exact same kind of freak Danny Fenton/Phantom is. Dear God, is he going to have to come up with some cheesy dumbass pun off his name for an alter-ego?</p><p>He didn't even notice Phantom, Danny, release his hand. His breath is heavy in his ears as he looks around the room for some kind of answer.</p><p>"Hey guys, look. He's doing the galaxy brain meme," Danny jokes beside him, and his troupe begin snickering and giggling.</p><p>"Sh-shut up! I'm not doing some stupid meme!" Wes' outburst causes something behind his eyes to burn, and he rapidly blinks them to clear up the feeling.</p><p>"Ooooo, the scary eyes, whatever shall we do?" The other halfa teases, folding his arms with a playful smirk.</p><p>"What are you even?!" The feeling comes back, and the resulting reflection in the metal walls shows that his eyes are glowing. Wes shakes his head, begging the feeling to go away. It dies down after a minute, but the sensation is still enough to make him shiver.</p><p>"Look, Wes, I'll take a moment to be straight with you," Danny sighs. "With these new powers, you obviously can expose both our existences to the world without much argument, so I'll do what I can to convince you how bad of an idea that is."</p><p>That's right, with these transformations, Wes now has concrete proof that something like this can happen, that Danny Fenton are one in the same. But, should he really do that? Does he even want people to know he's a freak like Danny is? The ideas juggle in his head a moment.</p><p>Danny snaps his clawed fingers in front of his face. "You might want to listen to what I'm about to say."</p><p>"What about? I can finally fufill what I've been meaning to for five years, Fenton. You think I'm just going to give it up because you say so?" Wes challenges.</p><p>"If you actually want to be a detective and not a government lab rat, than yes, yes you are going to give it up," Danny responds simply, like it wasn't that big a deal.</p><p>"Government Lab Rat?!" Wes bursts. What does he mean lab rat? Wes is still alive, right? Is the goverment coming to brainwash them all like he always thought they would?</p><p>"Oh, prepare your tinfoil hat, because you're going to love this," Danny smirks sarcastically, his sharp fangs poking out from under his lips. It really does add to his intimidation factor... "You're not alive in the eyes of the law anymore. If anyone catches you, they have full rights to experiment on you until you're nothing but a pile of goop."</p><p>"That's disgusting!" the other, new halfa barks. "Not to mention unethical! I'm still alive, damn it!"</p><p>"Not according to the Anti-Ecto Control Act, you're not. Any ghost hunter that catches you can do whatever the hell they want to you, because it's completely legal to do so. So, if you expose one of us, you expose both of us. Keep that in mind before you try anything," Danny warns.</p><p>Government conspiracies, living ghosts, being a living ghost? Wes thinks his brain is going to explode into a million itty bitty peices. It's all too much to take in for one day...</p><p>"You know, I could help you with your powers if you don't want to get caught like that," Danny mentions offhandedly. His friends seem to sigh in relief at him finally offering to do so.</p><p>"Yeah, well, I don't need your help! I'll figure it out on my own, thank you very much! I don't have time to deal with any stupid ghost shenanigans, I have college to attend and frankly I'd rather not loose my dream job skipping school to be a moonlight vigilante," Wes huffs, folding his arms. He heads for the exit to the stupid base.</p><p>"Ow. That hurt, you know that?" Danny grunts in turn.</p><p>"Weston dropping that truth like it's hot," Tucker mentions in the background.</p><p>"Tucker, shut up," Danny replies with a less than happy tone.</p><p>"Well, he can suit himself I guess. Wonder if all halfas like to learn things the hard way..." Sam adds in the background.</p><p>"It's the denial," Jazz deduces. "The truth isn't going to really hit for a while, maybe he'll change his mind."</p><p>"Whatever the case, this whole thing just loves to get more complicated," Danny sighs. </p><p>"Hopefully he heeds my warning..."</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Danny Gets Yeeted Into Space</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cyroclastic</p><p>Danny finds out he can do more than intangibly step into dreams and video games.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny always wanted to be an astronaut.</p><p>Although this situation hardly counts as being an astronaut, or being legal for that matter.</p><p>It wasn't his intention, not in the slightest. It was just supposed to be a trip to the Florida Space Center to watch the shuttle to Mars launch in person. He never planned to be aboard said shuttle. Though he guesses being aboard the shuttle is the wrong term. </p><p>He never meant to be attached to the shuttle's programming, desperately trying not to fling it off course and throw it into the furthest depths of space where it won't ever be recovered.</p><p>Danny is infinitesimally thankful his ghost half can survive in space. He'd leave and fly back to Earth, but his existence seems to be trapped in the shuttle's programming. You know, which isn't good. The longer he's stuck in here, the further he gets from home.</p><p>Not to mention his parents probably worrying sick about him, or his friends doing much the same, or the runaway ghosts that might attack in his absence. </p><p>Again, he wanted to be an astronaut. This is absolutely not being an astronaut. This is being a stowaway on a high speed space shuttle that isn't going to stop moving until he reaches MARS. That's going to take YEARS. He's going to be stuck on a shuttle headed to Mars for years because he wanted to get close to it before it launched.</p><p>Could things get any worse? Oh right, if he moves the slightest bit in the programming, he throws the shuttle off course and gets stuck drifting though space for the rest of time! Danny knows he likes space, but being trapped in a shuttle floating nowhere for eternity does not sound as fun as just being a normal astronaut.</p><p>Not to mention he's alone up here. Bitterly, crushingly alone with no one to talk to, except maybe the Courage Rover that's being sent to Mars with him. Danny is sure the dang robot designed to look at space rocks will make amazing company.</p><p>As the days go by, and Danny is no closer to freeing himself from the shuttle's programming, he starts to think, and to regret his decisions up to this point. Not telling his parents the truth about him being Phantom, not telling the people around him that he cares, not keeping his hands to himself around a space shuttle going to Mars...</p><p>"Hey Courage... you know how many stars out here are probably dead?" Danny tells the rover his influence is encapsulated around. "There's billions and billions of balls of gas out there that live for billions and billions of years, and they explode when their time is up."</p><p>"The universe is so vast and dark, and the stars are so big and bright, that you can see their light from trillions of light years away. But it also took that light trillions of years to get this far. So technically, you wouldn't know a star exploded until a trillion years from now," the boy rambles, still in disbelief that he's talking to a deactivated Mars Rover.</p><p>Danny idly wonders why he isn't hungry or thirsty one day. Turns out his body is actually feeding off the battery in the shuttle. It's cool to know he can eat electricity as a substitute for food, and that in turn his own body regenerates enough power in the battery to keep the shuttle moving on course.</p><p>"If you look way off in the distance over there, you can see Andromeda, the closest galaxy to the Milky Way. It's getting closer day by day, but it's still really, really far away. It's not gonna get here for like another two billion years, but when it does, the two galaxies are going to merge. Guess we can only hope Earth doesn't get knocked out of orbit when that happens and all the gravity starts going crazy," Danny chuckles. </p><p>He's still talking to the damn Mars rover, but he doesn't care. If he has to treat it like Wilson from that Castaway movie, than so be it. It'll keep him from going insane up here.</p><p>"Hey Courage, you every think about how small we are?" Danny asks the Rover. He has no idea how far from Earth he is at this point, nor does he care. It's obvious he's never going to make it home. He's stuck in the programming of a space shuttle headed to Mars for the rest of his life.</p><p>"You know, our Sun is actually pretty small for a star. Tiny, minuscule. And even the biggest stars are nothing compared to how vast the universe is. It's only getting bigger and bigger, and it's going to keep getting bigger until it overheats and collapses on itself. Every single star in the universe will burn out before that happens, though. Not even those are perpetual motion."</p><p>"Every time an old star explodes, less and less of its nebula gets used in the new star cause it's all burned up, and then one day there's going to be no more star from where that original nebula formed because all the fuel will be gone."</p><p>"You ever miss home, Courage?" Danny asks. According to the shuttle's programming, it's been ten years since he got launched into space, never to return. He's given up on trying to free himself from the programming of the ship, still heading to Mars whether he wants to or not.</p><p>"I miss home, you know? The taste of food, the scenery. Space is cool, yeah, but I'd love to sleep in my own bed once in a while. Or you know, exist outside a few lines of code in a shuttle's programming, wouldn't that be great? See my family and friends again, that would be great too," Danny tells the inactive robot. The memories have gotten blurry as he continues to remain where he has the past decade, floating aimlessly though space.</p><p>Suddenly the shuttle comes in for a landing. Had they already reached Mars? Danny could have sworn that it would take another fifteen years for the shuttle to get that far. Looking around outside the many visual sensors on the shuttle, Danny comes to realize that they aren't on Mars at all.</p><p>No, they landed on an asteroid. It's even headed in the opposite direction of the planet. Confused now, Danny timidly checks to see if his lack of care screwed with the programming in the shuttle he isn't a part of.</p><p>Danny looks around, before a tingling static seems to invade his brain.</p><p>"...tom...." </p><p>The voice that rings through his mind is static and fizzy, but it's still a voice. When was the last time Danny even heard someone's voice? Curious, he lets the static invade his brain a bit more.</p><p>"Phantom! Signalling Shuttle X-T61 for Phantom, do we have connection?" The static voice rings out, it almost sounds familiar.</p><p>Danny looks around the surface of the asteroid. Though it becomes obvious that this is a radio signal. He'd been stuck in the shuttle's transmission system for the past decade.</p><p>"Y-yes, I can read you?" Danny attempts to reply.</p><p>"Danny? Oh thank god, dude. We've been trying to find you years, man!" The vaguely familiar voice replies. It sounds deeper, more mature, but still just as desperate. "Just hang in there a little longer Danny, there's already equipment on the way to retrieve the shuttle from that asteroid."</p><p>"More like a disasteroid," Danny puns.</p><p>"Good to hear you haven't lost your touch," the voice replies, chucking. The tangible amount of relief Danny hears through the static brings him some comfort. "The retrieval shuttle should be there in a month, just hang tight buddy, we're going to bring you home."</p><p>The shuttle did end up releasing the Courage Rover onto the surface of the asteroid. The robot activates with a hum, moving around the shuttle and seeming to wag its antenna like a dog's.</p><p>Danny doesn't remember the Courage Rover being programmed to act like an animal. Still, the display is adorable. It rolls around the shuttle with static noises strung together from it's memory banks, and moves back and forth in a playful manner.</p><p>"If you look way off in the distance over there, you can see Andromeda, the closest galaxy to the Milky Way," the robot suddenly speaks, playing a recording of Danny's voice back at him. The trapped halfa perks up with surprise within the shuttle, watching the robot's antenna wag.</p><p>"You were conscious for all of that? I didn't even know you had an A.I that strong..." Danny mentions offhandedly as he watches the rover move about.</p><p>Come to think of it, the Courage Rover had changed drastically from what was put into the shuttle initially. Its more metallic look seemed to have turned black and white, the robot now sporting Danny's logo on its back as its tail antenna wags.</p><p>Had Danny unconsciously brought the robot to life?</p><p>The robot continues to move around his shuttled prison, making a yipping noise approximated from the sounds of his own voice. The transmission's speaker, Tucker, Danny finally realized, kept tuning into him as he remains stuck on the asteroid.</p><p>Other voices soon begin chiming in to talk to him. The head of the space program apologizes for not reaching him sooner, Jazz apologizes for not trying harder to get him back, his parents apologize for not being there for him after so long, Valerie apologizes to him for taking him for granted and trying to hurt him...</p><p>Danny took great care and appreciation in talking to people he thought he'd never here again, the now sentient Courage Rover proving to be even better company than when the pair were soaring through the vast expanse of space for years...</p><p>The rescue shuttle does eventually arrive after a month of non-stop talking. Just a while longer, and Danny would be back home to his family. He can even smell the refreshments stocked aboard the shuttle, making him eager to finally free himself from the shuttle's coding and dig into some actual food.</p><p>A claw retrieves the the opened shuttle and the rover, carefully storing the expensive technology in the holding bay.</p><p>With everything stored safely away, Danny tries his best to free himself from the confines of the shuttle's coding. Without the risk of being thrown forever into space by screwing this up, Danny pulls out all the stops in trying to free himself from the radio system in the shuttle.</p><p>It takes a lot of pushing and what remains of his dwindling power to get out of the shuttle. The smell of food, the voices of his friends and the yipping of the Courage Rover urges him on.</p><p>Feeling soon returns to him. He can feel himself. He's more than just a collection of zeroes and ones, with hands and fingers, and arms and legs.... Every single piece, every detail lost over the last decade begins to reform bit by bit, slowly bringing his lost senses into full alert.</p><p>He's hungry.</p><p>The lack of nutrition from the space isolation has left him starving, his throat clenched and dry. He needs food, water, now! The recently reformed halfa crawls his way through the shuttle in search of things he can consume other than electricity for his own survival, he NEEDS it.</p><p>A canister of water greets him, and he greedily begins gulping down the whole thing. Courage follows behind him, wagging the antenna tail back and forth. Danny weakly smiles at the robot and pats it on the head.</p><p>Finding it in him to start standing, Danny moves to find some food next. A cupboard is stocked to the brim with a plethora of different foods and snacks, fresh in their containers despite floating out this far for years. Danny could hardly care how fresh it is at this point.</p><p>Not even bothering to look at what he's grabbing, Danny guzzles down food until his stomach hurts. He sits on a bench in the low gravity shuttle, happy to finally be free of the crammed code within the rover shuttle's mainframe.</p><p>Courage rolls up beside him, the rover's weight keeping it on the ground as it continues to wag its antenna. Danny scratches the robot on the head again, the rover creating happy noises from its memory banks. It's a little creepy the bot is using his voice to make vastly different vocalizations, but then again it was reanimated with ectoplasm of his in some way. He'd rather take it than sit up here all alone.</p><p>"Danny, this is your remote control captain speaking," Tucker's voice echoes over a series of speakers. "We are now on our five year journey to bring you back home, so sit back, relax and enjoy whatever music, snacks and television you want, because you're going to be a while longer."</p><p>"We miss you sweetheart!" His mother's voice comes over the speaker. "Lots of love and hugs from back home dear, I can't wait to see you again!"</p><p>Many other greetings progress in the same way, Danny smiling and greeting everyone. Though his voice is a bit raw, he's happy to see everyone on the screen included with the new shuttle. They've grown up so much since he was thrown into this situation.</p><p>Though as he relaxes into the soft couch within the new vessel, Danny catches his reflection on one of the windows.</p><p>And with horror, he realizes he hasn't aged a day.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Reluctant Team Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kinglazrus</p><p>When Danny wakes up, bound and gagged, he has no idea where he is or how he got here. The GIW agent chained to the wall across from him is just as confused.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning:</p><p>Implied Gruesome Content</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny's vision is soon pulled into blurry haze as he regains consciousness.</p><p>Where was he? Why is he here? What happened to bring him here? The last thing he remembers was fighting some kind of ghost... they were wearing a lab coat of some kind and laughing maniacally. And then the jerks in white showed up...</p><p>The halfa groans and shakes his head, attempting to sit up, only to be dragged back with a metal clang. On further inspection, his wrists and ankles are bound to the wall behind him, as well as his neck. The cold and metal bindings keeping him rooted in place. There's also something in his mouth, some sort of cloth, and that doesn't phase off either.</p><p>Did the jerks actually capture him? No, that can't be the case. The walls are way too dull and gray for it to be those white obsessed assholes. Although, speaking of...</p><p>Danny steels a glare at Agent O, who he can see just across the room with his vision clearing. Because of course they're still involved in this.</p><p>He can feel the agent glaring back at him, the two seeming to be caught in a stare-down as they rustle with their respective chains keeping them stuck against the walls. Danny would ask what the bastard wants with him, but the gag around his mouth prevents him from talking.</p><p>"Well, well, well...Look what the ghosts dragged in." A familiar, unsettling voice rings across the room. Silently, a figure approaches the pair in the cage. "I wasn't expecting you to take the bait, but here we are, the people who ruined my life all trapped in one place."</p><p>Freakshow.</p><p>But something looks different about him. Looking closer, Danny can see that the demented ringmaster is floating. A ghostly glow had settled around him, and his skin was now an even darker gray as the bright red ringmaster's outfit from the scuffle with the Reality Gauntlet still hangs off the man's shoulders.</p><p>Agent O mutters something incoherent through the gag they're wearing, but Danny does make out the word "terminated". Then... is that Freakshow's ghost?</p><p>A wave of the hand, and the gags are pulled off the pair. Danny sputters, coughing a minute before turning to the ghostly ringleader. It brings a shiver down his spine as a cruel reminder as to where ghosts come from. Someone Danny had last seen alive was now a ghost. Dead.</p><p>He doesn't like Freakshow at all, but seeing him with his life stolen away causes the slightest hint of pity that Danny refuses to acknowledge.</p><p>"What do you want?" Danny growls, finally able to speak.</p><p>"Oh, let's see, shall we?" Freakshow smirks. "Vengeance for ruining my life, vengeance for being killed, vengeance in general, I'm sure you get the gist."</p><p>"You proved uncooperative and put the lives of humans in danger. For the safety and security of the nation, you had to be silenced," Agent O growls at Freakshow, struggling against their chains. They rattle and creak against the dark, dank walls of the cave.</p><p>"Yes, and that was a very cute display of how futile it is for you to escape," Freakshow states, clicking his tongue as he floats.</p><p>"Like we're just going to sit around and let you do what you want, you creepy clown!" Danny barks at the ringleader. He tries to tug at his own bonds, but the chain around his neck chokes him when he moves too far, forcing him to sit down.</p><p>"Oh, we'll see about that. After all, tonight's show is about to begin, and I'm afraid you're the first act!" Freakshow bursts in to a cacophony of demented giggles, before the echoing laughter fills the room. The ghost in a lab coat from earlier appears, before a thick and heavy gas knocks Danny unconscious again.</p><p>When he wakes up, he's tied to a lab table. Panic seizes his core as Danny struggles to free himself from the bonds of the steel operating bench to no avail. His breathing picks up as he looks around for an explanation. </p><p>Agent O is attached to a similar looking display, ghost and human locking eyes. Around the room lie more cages, all with tied up and unconscious agents from the GIW. Horror turns the blood and ectoplasm in Danny's veins to ice as he looks at the fearsome amount of cutting and slicing technology across from them.</p><p>"Would you look at those worms squirming? It's almost a shame we have to turn them into mindless zombies," Freakshow snickers from behind them. The now ghostly ringmaster and his lab coated accomplice move to the front of the display with the collection of sharp tools.</p><p>"What are you doing?!" Danny roars at the pair, still struggling to free himself from the grimy lab table. The restraints refuse to budge, and Danny can't move more than a few inches as the steel creeks and whines with his writhing.</p><p>"Well, it's not a show without actors, isn't it?" Freakshow hisses, looking to his assistant. "So I decided to enlist some participants out of the people who ruined my life! So, in a few minutes your going to be screaming as my colleague rips open your heads and rearranges your brains!"</p><p>"What?! That's disgusting!" Danny roars at the ghost, struggling to get free.</p><p>"Exactly. And once my plans are complete, you'll be nothing more than mindless husks that live to serve me. I'm sure you'll find being brainwashed this time to be a lot more.. permanent." Freakshow cackles, stepping aside as the lab coat ghost picks up a series of the sharp tools.</p><p>Danny looks over to Agent O as the sharp tools get closer. A buzz saw begins whirring as the red-eyed ghost approaches to start the process. Ghost and Human, both who hate the other, come to a silent agreement.</p><p>In a quick motion, Danny lets his transformation forth, turning human. The scientist looks up in shock as Danny bites into their arm out of desperation and moving the spinning saw toward one of the restraints holding his arm to the table.</p><p>The blade saws through the restraint enough for Danny to break free from it, spitting out bits of spectral cloth as he grabs the saw blade and moves to undo one of his legs.</p><p>"What are you doing standing around?! Stop him, slave!" Freakshow barks at his minion. The ghost roars and lunges at Danny, who manages to raise his hand while still holding the blade handle and fire a weakened blast from his knuckles. It's enough to knock the bastard off him, and he kicks his right leg free of the restraint.</p><p>Danny uses the saw blade to start freeing Agent O as the broken connection slowly lets the rest of his powers manifest again. His strength breaks the other two restraints with ease as he moves to help the tied up human.</p><p>Yes, he hates the GIW, but a good person would never leave someone left to have their brains rearranged. Danny saves people, he shouldn't waste time on deliberating on whether or not they deserve to be saved in the first place.</p><p>Both the lab coat ghost and Freakshow move in to attack Danny, but the halfa quickly counters by throwing the saw blade at them. They both hiss in pain as ectoplasm flies everywhere, giving him an ample window to break the restraints with his bare hands.</p><p>Morphing back into Phantom, Danny pulls the last restraint off and helps Agent O to the ground. "Don't make me regret this."</p><p>Agent O draws his weapon on the ghosts, holding them in place as the weapon whirs to start up. The two full ghosts are trying to keep from cutting themselves up even more with the damn saw blade while Danny rushes over to where the cages holding the rest of the agents are.</p><p>Danny pries the bars off of each cage, tearing off the restraints of every captive human in the place. They all move to help capture the offending ghosts as Danny pulls out his phone to call his team. After all, he's not going to get fifty or sixty less than pleased government agents home by himself.</p><p>"Hey Jazz? It's Danny. I need a favor..."</p><p>-</p><p>The swirling of the ghost zone's bright green skies move by quickly as Danny sits on top of the roof of a Specter Speeder the size of a bus. Tucker apparently had the brilliant idea to use the Fenton Crammer on it in reverse to make it bigger, and then hack the controls from his PDA.</p><p>Danny can't believe he had to go and transform in front of the entire GIW. Definitely a face palm worthy move, but at least it surprised Lab Coat long enough to get himself and everyone else free from that nightmare of a situation.</p><p>Plus, Freakshow is contained again, along with his freaky assistant. They're both locked in a Fenton Thermos, stuck in the back of the giant Specter Speeder. At least this way, they won't hurt anyone else, or do some other dumb trick trying to rearrange anyone's brains. Gross.</p><p>Still, it's probably going to end badly once they get through the portal. Thanks to the Anti-Ecto Control Act, he'll probably be detained and thrown into some lab to get torn apart anyway, knowing how this particular group of people work.</p><p>"Daniel Fenton?" Agent O's voice rings behind him as the top of the speeder open with a metallic groan. Well, here we go, he's gonna get ecto cuffed and tied to another damn wall...</p><p>Though as he turns around, the agent is unarmed. Tilting his head in confusion, he watches the agent approach his more thin form and place a hand on his shoulder with a sigh.</p><p>"You could have just left us all there," Agent O states matter of factly. And he's perfectly right. Danny could have just left every single agent there to get turned into Freakshow's zombies and never have to deal with the reality of being captured by the time they get home.</p><p>"You could have just help yourself escape. Ghost research up to this point would have dictated you should have. Self-Preservation takes priority. But you didn't just save yourself," he sighs. "You saved every single agent locked up in those cells. Not a single one was left behind."</p><p>"Because it was the right thing to do," Danny states simply. "Just leaving you to die would have been awful and cruel of me, and I'm better than the two ghosts in that thermos. At least, I try to be."</p><p>Agent O shakes his head. "I don't think you understand the gravity of what you did back there."</p><p>"Huh?" Danny tenses up a bit, not sure what the agent is getting at.</p><p>"Every single man captured today gets to go home and see their families again because of you," Agent O continues. "When I woke up to being stuck on that table, I could only think of the wife and daughter I could never see again. I'm sure a lot of the men in those cages were thinking about similar things."</p><p>Danny nods along to the story. The GIW might be a right bunch of ghost hating bastards, but they have family too. Like him, even if they're consumed in their duties, they're still human, at least a little bit at least.</p><p>"What I'm trying to say is that I misjudged you. Everyone did. A ghost like yourself having that much freedom in the real world is dangerous. If it turns or snaps, who knows how destructive things would become? But, you saved a lot of lives with that free will today."</p><p>"You mean... you're not going to capture me, and take me in for questioning and lots of painful experiments?" Danny asks hopefully.</p><p>"Well, maybe a few questions, but after you saved all of our lives, I doubt we're going to do anything to you. You've more than earned that reputation you've garnered after all," Agent O replies, patting Danny on the shoulder.</p><p>"Th-thank you." Danny replies in kind.</p><p>As the Specter Speeder moves toward the portal home, everyone safe and sound, Danny can't help but smile. He really did do the right thing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Maddie Discovers Social Media</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Imperfection At It's Finest</p><p>Maddie and Jack learn a bit more about ghosts, but not through scientific study</p><p>Warning: Mild meme cursing</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maddie had never been one for the internet.</p><p>It just seemed like a waste of her time, if she was being honest. Being a scientist, she would rather go and get results from the real and tangible world around her, instead of just pulling up a device and looking up the answers on some website that may not even be credible.</p><p>But, with her son growing more and more distant in recent times, Maddie feels she has to take more desperate measures. So, as she stares at the home page for the chat room website, she can't help but grimace. Does she really want to subject herself to the chaos of Social Media for the sake of her son?</p><p>Yes. This is for Danny. If she could learn anything about her son, it would be from this website. Reaching for clear and tangible answers just won't work anymore. She reluctantly enters her personal information into the social media site and creates an account.</p><p>There's actually a chat room for Amity Park as a whole, so it's good place to start looking for her son's account. After messing around with the technology, she's more for holding a weapon over holding a mouse, she finds a way to "join" the chatroom.</p><p>
  <b>Ectobiologist Joined The Chat</b>
</p><p><b>Chaos and Despair:</b> Well, that's one way to know if someone's actually from around town.</p><p><b>Burger King:</b> lol tru. not a lot of ppl outside of town know the ghosts are actually real XD</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> @Ectobiologist Yo! Welcome to hell.</p><p>Maddie sighs. Three messages in, and she can only agree with the third one. These upcoming days may as well be hell if she's going to be looking for her son in a mess of usernames like these. Of course she could just ask, but then he'd catch on to what she's doing.</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> I'm thrilled to be on this ...website.</p><p><b>Neighborhood Casper:</b> So, are we gonna play "Who's The Account Owner" or what?</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> Oh god damn it Phantom's online again.</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> Get TF out this is a humans only chat you little shit</p><p><b>Neighborhood Casper:</b> ;;;;;n;;;;;</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> ;;;;;n;;;;;</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> Except for you @GhostGal. You're allowed here.</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> :D</p><p><b>Neighborhood Casper:</b> Hypocrite &gt;:C</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> Excuse me, but can someone please explain what's going on here? Are there actually ghosts in this chat?</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> Unfortunately.</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> ;;;;;n;;;;;</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> You're valid Ellie. You're the only Valid one.</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> :D</p><p><b>Chaos and Despair:</b> She also only speaks in emojis. </p><p><b>Burger King:</b> the language of the gods.</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> &gt;:)</p><p><b>Neighborhood Casper:</b> Ellie's my cousin, why am I not validated??</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> All you do is cause problems. You and your stupid moonlight vigilante act can go back in the Ghost Zone and rot tbh.</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> Sick Burn, dude.</p><p>
  <b>SpaceAce changed Neighborhood Casper's nickname to Invalidated</b>
</p><p><b>Invalidated</b> Ok. Ow? That hurts my feelies.</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> Ghosts don't feel human emotions.</p><p><b>Burger King</b> ow, sick burn on Phantom there?</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Getting an idea on who @Ectobiologist is based on that comment.</p><p><b>Burger King:</b> U right. U right.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> So we are playing "Who's That User?"</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> You change the name of the game every time you bring it up.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> &gt;:P</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> Anyway. @Ectobiologist is that you mom?</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> Danny? How can you tell?</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> Call it a hunch lol. Didn't think you'd ever get social media tho.</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> Just trying to keep up with the times, sweetheart! I'm an inventor after all!</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> Fair, but please no pet names online mom (-_-;)</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> I'm your mother Danny, it's my job to embarrass you &gt;:)</p><p><b>Chaos and Despair:</b> Huh. I guess constant emojis are genetic.</p><p><b>SpaceAce</b> Nooooo! My online personality is ruined!</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> You mean the space nerd thing? What is there to ruin?</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> STFU PHANTOM!!! &gt;&gt;&gt;:C</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b>I'm dead I do what I want</p><p><b>ConspiracyNut69420:</b> Am I seriously the only one who notices how long it takes Danny and Phantom to respond to each other?!</p><p><b>ConspiracyNur69420:</b> Wait wtf?! Who the hell changed my nickname to this shit???</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> &gt;:3c</p><p><b>ConspiracyNut69420:</b> Fuck you Fenton change it the fuck back!!!</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> Don't cuss out my son like that!</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> Yeah Wes, don't cuss me out like that &gt;:3c</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> lol Danny's a momma's boy.</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> I will catch you myself and let her dissect you!</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> ASFSDFZSGHFCH NO!</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> Aw, My son's going to be a ghost hunter! I'm so proud~ &gt;:)</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Why does everyone bully me? :(</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> It's ok, cuz. I still love u. &lt;3</p><p><b>Burger King:</b> dear lord she does speak :O</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Thanks Ellie. Love you too *ghost hugs*</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> *ghost hugs*</p><p>
  <b>TECHMASTER Joined the Chat</b>
</p><p><b>TECHMASTER:</b> COWER IN FEAR FOOLISH HUMANS! FOR I, TECHNUS, HAVE ACQUIRED A CELLULAR DEVICE! IN TURN I HAVE INFILTRATED THIS "CHAT ROOM" AND WILL USE IT TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> God fukking damn it</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> Guys he took my admin powers I can't ban him.</p><p><b>TECHMASTER:</b> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!!!!!!!!!</p><p><b>Burger King:</b> You've got to be kidding me.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> don't worry I can get him out.</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> Phantom I swear to fuck if you wreck everyone's phones fighting a ghost</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> I don't see anyone else here with the ability to overshadow tech and drag him out.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> brb gonna take care of Technus.</p><p>
  <b>TECHMASTER invited several people to the group</b>
</p><p><b>To The Hunt!:</b> Well, I guess the screeching menace did follow through.</p><p><b>Remember, Bitches!:</b> Phantom having a party in the real world with all these humans and keeping us out of it.</p><p><b>Remember, Bitches!:</b> So fukkin rude.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> To be fair, I hate all of you.</p><p><b>13:</b> Lol, the little shit has such a fitting nickname.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Shut your fuck, Johnny. Why the hell are you all here??</p><p><b>13:</b> We're bored.</p><p><b>Remember, Bitches!:</b> The Ghost Zone is dull as shit, babypop. And no one here feels like getting their ass kicked by you.</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> And the real ghost hunters I would hope.</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> ^^^^^^^^</p><p><b>13:</b> Really? Cause I feel like Phantom does most of the ghost hunting around your real world town.</p><p><b>Chaos and Despair:</b> Not to agree with the group of ghosts that busted down the door but uh, sick burn tbh.</p><p><b>Burger King:</b> Most Casper High Students agree.</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> We stan Phantom, love ya cuz! :D</p><p><b>Burger King:</b> Rare and elusive Ellie speaking words.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Ok fair. But I still hate u all. Let me fukking sleep once in a while ancients damn it.</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> But ghosts don't sleep?</p><p><b>To The Hunt!:</b> Not usually, but halfas like Phantom require it.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Skulker. Shut your mouth right now before I go into the ghost zone and shut it for you.</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> I've never heard of a halfa?? What's that?</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Skulker I stg &gt;:(</p><p><b>To The Hunt!</b> Halfas are a very rare species of hybrid ecto entity. Though they once existed in abundance, there are only two in the modern age.</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> Oi! There's three! I may be a clone but I still count asshole! &gt;:(</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> You can clone ghosts?</p><p><b>GhostH8R</b> Wait you're a clone?? Who are you a clone of??</p><p><b>GhostH8R</b> hold up a sec.</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> @Invalidated what the fuck.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> What the hell did I do this time??</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> YOU'VE BEEN HALF HUMAN THE ENTIRE GODDAMN TIME?!?!?!?!!?</p><p><b>GhostH8R:</b> And you didn't think to say anything when we rescued your cousin?!</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> To be fair, I thought you would have figured out on your own by now.</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> Half ghosts? I've heard of such a thing in my research but I didn't think they were scientifically plausible....</p><p><b>ConspiracyNut69420:</b> I told you! I told you all and nobody fucking believed me!</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Me being half human doesn't prove shit, Wes.</p><p><b>ConspiracyNut69420:</b> Yes it does!</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> How so??</p><p><b>ConspiracyNut69420:</b> While you've been ranting away on your Phantom account, your Fenton account has been strangely quiet even though he, or should I say you, had admin taken from them.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> I'm sure Danny's working on trying to get them back so he can kick the ghosts.</p><p><b>SpaceAce:</b> Yeah step off Weston. I'm busy.</p><p><b>Remember, Bitches!:</b> *eats ghost popcorn while watching shit go down*</p><p><b>13:</b> *also joins in with ghost popcorn*</p><p><b>To The Hunt!:</b> I will partake in the concessions as well, this is highly entertaining.</p><p><b>TECHMASTER:</b> INDEED! IT IS HIGHLY AMUSING TO WATCH THE GHOST CHILD</p><p><b>TECHMASTER:</b> Er, what's the term the kids use....</p><p><b>TECHMASTER:</b> MULTIBOXING! THE GHOST KID MULTIBOXING IS HIGHLY AMUSING!</p><p><b>Invaliated:</b> I'm going to end all of you.</p><p><b>GhostH8R</b> DANNY WTF?!</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Oh shit.</p><p><b>Burger King</b> Dude, you're supposed to deny it not confirm it!</p><p><b>Chaos and Despair:</b> I'm friends with a pair of idiots (-_-;)</p><p><b>GhostH8R</b> You're dead the next time I see you, Fenton! Dead.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> I'm only half dead tho?</p><p>
  <b>GhostH8R has gone offline.</b>
</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> O fuk, maybe I really am full dead this time 0n0'''''</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> No, just grounded.</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> With how bad the situation is, you better be prepared to stay in your room after school for a very, very long time.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b>  :,(</p><p><b>Remember Bitches!:</b> so glad I'm a full ghost. I don't get grounded anymore &gt;;)</p><p><b>13:</b> If Phantom is locked in his room the next year, I better start planning some real world dates.</p><p><b>13:</b> I'm also going to ghegg his house.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> GHEGG?!?!</p><p><b>13:</b> Ghost eggs. I keep forgetting that you know jack shit about being an actual ghost.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Why ghegg? Of all things, why is it ghegg?</p><p><b>GhostGal:</b> It's ok cuz, they're just ghegging you on.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Ellie. I love you like the younger sister to me you are, but please shut your fuck.</p><p><b>Ectobiologist:</b> Every curse word I see you type is another week added to your grounding young man.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> 0n0''''</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> I'm already in my bedroom at least.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> I'm locking myself in and I'm ready to be paranoid for the last few moments I have on this precious earth.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> I've squandered my second chance, and Amity Park will soon be overrun by ghosts</p><p><b>Remember, Bitches!:</b> Stop being a drama queen, babypop.</p><p><b>Remember, Bitches!:</b> It's no fun trying to take over the world if you're not there to stop us.</p><p><b>TECHMASTER:</b> IT IS VERY BORING TO NOT HAVE A REAL THREAT IN THE WAY!!</p><p><b>To The Hunt!:</b> There's no thrill of the hunt if the prey isn't running.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> I love/hate you all so much.</p><p><b>Invalidated:</b> Can I have my Admin Powers back at least?</p><p><b>TECHMASTER:</b> FINE!</p><p>
  <b>Invalidated kicked several users from the chat</b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was not expecting a prompt to reach the same level of chaos as the DnD one last year tbh</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. You're Still My Son</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hpwot (The Lord of Chaos)</p><p>Danny was alone when he turned on the portal that first time.  Maddie comes downstairs just in time to see it happen, and sees Phantom pop out from where she'd just seen her son disappear.  What does she do before Danny turns back to Fenton.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warnings:</p><p>Electrocution. But you knew that already.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Danny, Dinner's ready sweetheart!" Maddie calls around the house. Her son had to be around the house somewhere, but he had yet to answer her call. A mother can't help but worry when a child doesn't answer her, even if it's something minor keeping their attention away.</p><p>She'd prepared a large meal for her family today, more to take her mind of the failure early this morning. The test drive of the portal was unsuccessful. At this rate, they'll have to spend another year or more dismantling it, reevaluating what went wrong, altering the blueprints to mend the error and then building the portal again. Wash, rinse, repeat. It's how it had been the past twenty years of failure after failure to get the device working.</p><p>It would be the highlight of their careers. To prove that ghosts exist, to finally be able to use their inventive talents in ways they've been passionate about since they day they met. Although, with every failure it was beginning to look more and more like a pipe dream.</p><p>Perhaps opening a portal to another realm isn't as possible as she once thought. This project had taken up most of her life, and it had hurt Vlad. Idly, she wonders about how neglectful she's been to her children after burying herself in her work. After all, Danny still has yet to answer the call for dinner.</p><p>She should find him. If she's been neglectful to him, she must try to make up for it. If the portal is destined to fail, perhaps she should work on being a better mother to her children, heaven knows they've been waiting for years.</p><p>Walking into the kitchen, Jack and Jazz are having another heated debate. Both arguing about the existence of ghosts, Jazz using the latest failure to rake into her father about giving up the pointless endeavor and being there for Danny's physiological growth. Maddie can't help but silently agree.</p><p>He starts Freshman Year at Casper High next week. Her son is growing at such a rapid rate, going to high school and learning to fend for himself. Perhaps she really should have spent more time with both her son and her daughter.</p><p>Times like these get her thinking after all. Typically, all she does is think. About experiments and the next invention, and training to ensure her hand to hand is up to date should anything arise. Although failures like this get her thinking on regrets.</p><p>Not being there for her children, not spotting the error, did she even lock the lab behind her in her disappointment in today's efforts?</p><p>Wait a minute...</p><p>Dread seizes Maddie's heart. She doesn't remember locking the lab...</p><p>The dread morphs into panic as she rushes across the kitchen floor amidst the arguing of her daughter and husband and directly toward the protective steel door that barred off her home life from her work life. To her horror, the lab door opens the moment she touches the handle, no key required.</p><p>"Danny! Danny, your father and I have told you not to come down here unsupervised!" She calls into the lab, her cry being muffled by the soundproofed walls.</p><p>Maddie rushes down the stairs. He isn't anywhere else in the house. He has to be here. "Daniel James Fenton! Young man, you come upstairs and you join your family this instant!"</p><p>Her feet hit the bottom of the metallic stairwell, heart pounding heavily in her ears. His back turned to her, Danny stares ahead with an empty expression. He doesn't seem to have heard her calling.</p><p>He's in his jumpsuit. The white one with the black accents she and Jack worked hard to stitch together for him. He stands there and stares at the inactive portal only a moment longer, before some unknown force beyond the metal frame seems to call him inside.</p><p>"Danny, don't you dare take another step toward that device!"</p><p>He ignores her.</p><p>Danny steps over the metal frame of the portal, walking inside the dark hole in the wall. If it weren't for the bright white of his jumpsuit, he would have vanished into the darkness of the device. A cold and dark mix of emotions swirl in Maddie's chest as she begs him to come back from the dark depths of the inactive portal.</p><p>He looks back to her a second, recognition in his blue eyes that instantly turn to shame. He turns around and begins walking back toward her. He hangs his head, knowing he's in trouble for doing something so dangerous, inactive device or not.</p><p>Danny's eyes widen a minute. Maddie doesn't register he tripped on a stray wire until he stumbles and throws his hand out. He catches himself on the wall, staying standing, but the sharp click of a button being pressed somewhere inside the frame seems to slow time.</p><p>There's a low hum as a few sparks jump along the portal frame. Maddie's own eyes widen with terror. The error.</p><p>The backup switch inside the portal. It must have been wired wrong! Instead of being a backup, it must have been attached to the main router and required to turn the portal on. The portal that's still plugged in. And with Danny still standing in the frame...</p><p>"Get out of there! Run!" Maddie cries out to her son. Danny's eyes widen as he makes a mad dash toward her, but he only takes two steps before the lab is filled with green light.</p><p>He's screaming. It's a bloody and visceral cry, a wail of pure agony as the light envelops him. She can only see his silhouette against the back light of the portal, twisted and bend as enough energy to rip a hole in reality is forced though him.</p><p>Her baby is dying.</p><p>Her baby is dying and it's all her fault. She didn't lock the lab, she wired the portal wrong, she built this thing in the first place...</p><p>Maddie begs that she would have learned her lesson with what happened to Vlad back in college. After the man was irreparably damaged by the much smaller portal, she would have learned not to repeat history again. But her determination and thirst for knowledge had blinded her until this very moment, and the price to pay is her son's life.</p><p>Tears leak down her face as the shadow he casts against the portal is drowned in the green light. It was her bullheaded and negligent nature that lead to this. Her son is dying and it's all her fault.</p><p>His shadow twists and bends against the harsh, green light. The screams ring out in a way that seizes her heart. Her maternal instincts are thrown into overdrive, shattering and screaming just like her child is. She failed him as a mother.</p><p>The screaming dies down, stopping as suddenly as it started. He's still moving in there...? The shadow beyond the green veil goes slack, the silhouette turning toward her and limping forward. No he can't have, no human could have survived the voltage that just coarse through him, let alone leave them able to move...</p><p>But Danny's obscured shadow does the impossible, the dark black of his shadow stepping beyond the portal and toward her.</p><p>Maddie feels the hot tears running down her cheeks in the eerie silence, her hands not having left her lips as she holds her jaw to the point where it aches. The shadow continues toward her, stumbling as the visage of her son's silhouette stumbles toward her.</p><p>Even if he was out of the portal's light, the dark black hadn't faded. No, he had changed. After all, no human really could survive what the figure before her had.</p><p>This isn't how she wanted to be proven right.</p><p>No, she didn't want her son to be the proof that ghosts exist. This can't be real, he can't be dead, but the scientist in her screams that the facts are the facts. The mother in her wails that her son is dead, and her mind in disarray leaves her silent and staring and the ghost of her son.</p><p>The ghost is lighter than air. Even if it was limping, struggling to stand, it's movements were weightless. Snow white hair danced in a non existent breeze, and the jumpsuit she helped to so lovingly craft had been inverted. Black had become white. White had become black.</p><p>The most devastating change was the eyes. Gone where the bright and baby blue, human eyes of her child. Danny had his father's eyes, innocent and carefree and dyed the color of the skies. They were always the best part of her child. But they were gone now.</p><p>In the place of them were two green orb that glowed like the portal that took his life. A sick reminder of what did this, and that her baby boy is dead. The chilling and inhuman glow of his eyes had replaced what made Danny hers...</p><p>"Mom...." The ghost makes a strangled cry, growing closer to her. His voice carries a urethral echo, inhuman and not of this world. She did this to him. She turned her child into a monster...</p><p>"Mom, I'm sorry..." the ghost continues. "I should have never come down here, I'm sorry..."</p><p>Her eyes widen. Does... does this phantom of her son remember? Her studies had shown that ghosts never truly retain the memories of life, but then again she had never been this close to one before. This was the real deal. This ghost was her son.</p><p>And if there was still a shred of her Danny within those inhuman green eyes, she would find a way to preserve it and protect it. She would not loose him forever, ghost or not. A part of this spectral entity still had to be her Danny, all that was left of him after her mistakes.</p><p>When the ghost leans against her, she doesn't protest. His body is cold, like a corpse. But it's what remains of her son, so she wouldn't dare let go on the fact that her Danny is a ghost.</p><p>Danny's ghost grips her a little tighter, before crying into her shoulder. Cold tears stain her jumpsuit as he grips her, whimpering and sniffling. "Everything hurts, mum, everything hurts...."</p><p>"It's ok, sweetheart, I'm here, I'm here. You may not remember much from your life, but I'll protect what you do have of him," Maddie vows. It's all she has left of him, she can't loose him. Even if he's a ghost, an echo of what her son was, she will protect what she has left of him.</p><p>"Wh-what...? What do you mean what's left?" Danny sniffles. The green eyes fill with a realistic confusion. Maddie prays that her research is wrong, that her child can still feel genuine emotion. It would make her so much happier to know that Danny can still feel, despite...</p><p>"You're a ghost, hun," Maddie admits. "The portal killed you. I'm so sorry..."</p><p>"No... no that can't be true... I can't be..." He lets go of her and backs away. His eyes look around the room before settling on the mirror where the hand-washing station lay. He rushes over to it, almost beginning to float as he grips at the counter top, taking in his appearance.</p><p>The shock etched into his features is as genuine as can be before it devolves into deep denial. "No, no I'm not a... I can't be a...."</p><p>Danny's gloved hands phase through the counter, causing his eyes to grow wider. He drags them away as if he burned them. "This, it can't... I only wanted to help..."</p><p>"Danny, sweetheart are you ok?" Maddie steps toward him, and he sharply turns around.</p><p>"Stay away from me!" He cries. "Please, I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to be a ghost... I don't want to hurt people..."</p><p>Tears well up in his eyes again as he grips at his chest. "I only wanted to help... you and dad worked on that portal so long, I only wanted to help, I'm sorry..."</p><p>"Danny... you're not a monster," Maddie tries to assure him.</p><p>"But I'm a ghost!" He cries out. "Isn't that what you've always said?! Ghosts are nothing but evil and only want to hurt people! Spirits of the dead that lust for revenge.... I'm a monster.... I'm really a monster, I-I..."</p><p>It's Maddie's turn to hug him. She doesn't want to loose her son, no matter what. She rushes forward and embraces the ghost of her child like he was the real thing.</p><p>"I don't..." he whimpers. "I don't want..."</p><p>"Shhh... it's okay, Danny. Mommy's here, mommy's got you," she cooed, "I'm sorry sweetheart, I should have never let my job get in the way of being your mother..."</p><p>"It's not your fault... it's my... I only wanted to help..." Danny whimpers.</p><p>"It is my fault dear. I'm sorry, I made that portal... I made it wrong. I should have never let it go this far and I'm sorry," she finally admits. "I hurt you and I understand if you can never forgive me..."</p><p>"I... I could never hate you," Danny sniffles, leaning into the hug. "I wanted to help... I wanted to help because I love you...."</p><p>Danny begins to feel warm in his grip. Maddie again feels panic, is he destabilizing? No, no not after she just lost him once! She holds him tighter, not wanting to loose him like this.</p><p>The warmth spreads, and suddenly there's a soft breathing in her ears. Bewildered, she looks to the form in her arms. Her perfectly human son lay still in them, like the accident never even happened.</p><p>Too shocked for words, Maddie supports his upper body and presses two fingers to his neck. The faint flutter of a pulse beats under her hand, much too slow for a normal human but still there. It still exists. </p><p>Her baby is still alive.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. When The Mirror Shows You A Monster</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Astridianmayfly</p><p>There is a ghost living in Danny's mirror.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There is a ghost living in Danny's mirror.</p><p>It was subtle to notice at first. It would just appear as a darker shadow in the corner of the room, but turning around to see the real thing revealed that the shadows were arranged differently. He didn't think much of it when it started out.</p><p>His own reflection would blink at him quizzically at points, as if confused. Danny must just be feeling confused, it's a reflection. Unless his parents replaced his mirror with some kind of artifact while he was away at school, it should just be a normal mirror.</p><p>His reflection remains just as confused, so Danny turned away and ignored it.</p><p>The shadows seemed to grow deeper with time. What was once just a few slight changes soon became a spreading change. A mirror was supposed to reflect, but it appears the reflection was altered. The shadows the mirror reflected seemed to swallow the floor down the hallway, making it hard to see.</p><p>His reflection stares at him with a blank expression. Danny tilts his head, but his reflection stays level on it's shoulders.</p><p>"Wake up." his reflection commands.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Danny blinks, and his reflection goes back to mirroring his movements. Like his reflection hadn't spoken to him. Hadn't it? He shakes his head.</p><p>Maybe he's hearing things, or the mirror is some kind of ghostly artifact that found its way into his room. Either way, he knows well enough to ignore it. Trifling with the matter would just bring whatever curse that thing is holding onto him.</p><p>He ignores the haunted mirror, leaving the room to get something to eat. He's been so hungry lately, stupid halfa genetics...</p><p>The less he has to deal with whatever ghostly cursed mirror his parents put in the house, the better. He's not in the mood to fight whatever is waiting to pounce on the other side. He leaves it alone.</p><p>Danny unintentionally looked in the mirror one day, and the hallway behind him had vanished. He turned around, and the real thing was still there. With a grunt, he remembers he's supposed to leave this mirror alone so it doesn't go cursing him or his family or whatever.</p><p>"Wake up," his reflection drawls, turning the eyes of his human half green. Danny turns around and ignores him.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm not falling for your lame-o curse. I'm not some idiot becoming the protagonist of The Ring over here, mind your own mirror business," Danny grumbles back at the ghost. His reflection returns to normal after he states his opinion. Good for the ghost.</p><p>Danny walks away to go find food again. He's so hungry...</p><p>When Danny walks by the mirror the next time, he does a double take. The reflection of his ghost half, Phantom, stares back at him with that same dead stare of the possessed reflection. Danny looks himself up and down to make sure he wasn't accidentally walking around as his alter ego all day.</p><p>He sighs with relief knowing that he's in human form. He shoots a glare at the mirror, that's still imitating his ghost half. "Hey, mirror curse guy. Don't scare me like that. If my parents see me walking around like my alter ego I'm gonna be in deep trouble."</p><p>"Phantom" stares straight ahead at him, a dead and emotionless look in his dull, green eyes. "Wake up."</p><p>The message seems to echo in his head a moment. It isn't just his voice calling for him to wake up for the brief moment the reflection talked. Danny's glares darkens. He takes a cloth from the linen closet and drapes it over the mirror, so he doesn't have to deal with whatever curse that ghost is trying to inflict on him.</p><p>He has a headache, and his throat is dry. Maybe he should go drink more water.</p><p>-</p><p>Danny thought he took care of this problem. But, it refused to go away. It wasn't just one mirror infected by the ghost's presence anymore. He found that out the hard way trying to brush his teeth one morning, only to close the bathroom cabinet and have Phantom staring dead eyed right at him.</p><p>He spits the toothbrush out of his mouth and into the sink, the clacking noise of the plastic hitting porcelain echoing in the bathroom while Phantom just stares at him. The shadows in the reflection had spread further, leaving dark cracks in the walls and floors behind Phantom.</p><p>Danny looks behind him, and the room looks normal.</p><p>He turns back to Phantom, glaring. He's so tired of dealing with the mirror ghost impersonating his reflection.</p><p>"Wake up."</p><p>The familiar voices of people he know scream this to him. Friends and family alike echo in his head, shouting the same two words at him. Danny clutches at his brain, yelling at the voices to shut up and leave him alone.</p><p>The dark shadows behind Phantom extend their cracks the slightest bit. Danny turns around and leaves the room. Phantom's dead eyed stare follows him as the cracks grow and spread further.</p><p>The reflection continues to follow him around. No matter where he goes now, the thing seems to have infected the town.</p><p>The windows, the walls, the mirrors, everything around town with a reflective surface had grown tainted by the possessed reflection. Danny felt as if he was being haunted by his own ghost, as impossible as it sounds.</p><p>He and Phantom are one in the same, the two sides to a coin. He wouldn't haunt himself if he were physically able, right?</p><p>"Wake up,"  Phantom hisses at him, his visage taking up an apartment complex. Each window had been filled with the dull and dead eyed stare of his alter ego, causing Danny to step back and shut his eyes.</p><p>He runs down the empty street, trying to get away as the voices in his head beg for him to do as the reflection commanded. Wake up. But from what? He isn't sleeping, this isn't a nightmare. He would have woken up from the shock ten times over by now.</p><p>Danny runs back into his house. He shuts the door and draws the curtains over all the windows. Every room with a mirror is soon locked off. The empty house remains silent a moment longer as Danny catches his breath, feeling weak and dizzy from running.</p><p>He can't live like this... he has to stop the ghost. It's his job to stop the ghost, damn it! Why has he let it torture him this long, why did he let it take over the town like that? He's supposed to be the hero here! Danny can't just let it run amok among his home anymore.</p><p>Steeling his nerves, Danny returns to the original mirror. The cloth he draped over it still remains, unmoved and untouched. This ghost is going to pay for stringing him along using his own face. Danny tears the cloth off the surface, baring his fangs.</p><p>"Alright wise guy, I've had more than enough of you. Go away!" Danny hisses at his reflection. Phantom continues to look forward with a dead eyed stare.</p><p>"Stop looking at me like that! Stop using my face!" Danny roars at the ghost. His fists are shaking and he can't contain his rage much longer.</p><p>"Wake up," Phantom replies. The voices calling out for him to do the same thing echo in his mind.</p><p>Danny's expression darkens ever further. The figure in the mirror exists in a room shrouded in darkness. There's echoing, begging for him to wake up as the dull stare continues to etch at the boy's very soul. His body shakes and trembles. But he isn't afraid.</p><p>He's angry.</p><p>"GO AWAY!" Danny wails, the force of his rage twisting the energy in his core. Bursting sound waves leak from his mouth in an enraged shout, the powerful Ghostly Wail shattering the mirror. The windows, the television, the lights.. all of it explodes into a sea of shards and pieces as Danny screams.</p><p>The pieces scatter across the floor as Danny takes heavy breaths, watching the mirror in front of him crumble into dust. The wail had forced him to transform into Phantom. Short, sharp breaths fill the silence and the occasional tap of more glass or plastic hitting the floor.</p><p>It's finally over.</p><p>*crk*</p><p>Isn't it? The mirror is broken, so it should be gone, right?</p><p>*crrk* *crrrk*</p><p>Dark cracks begin forming in the wall, the area the mirror once hung now framing an inky black void. More cracks allowed the void to expand, before it began taking up the entire wall. Nothingness waited on the other side of it.</p><p>"Sh-" Danny mutters, gathering his powers and running the other way. The crackling follows him, the void growing larger and threatening to swallow him whole. The halfa flies as fast as he can, as the doors become blocked by the darkness enveloping his house.</p><p>Maybe it is a nightmare...</p><p>"I have to wake up," Danny mutters to himself, flying toward the lab. He can't stay here, the darkness will catch him. Maybe if he can reach the portal, then-</p><p>Darkness snakes up from the lab. The portal had already been consumed. </p><p>"Damn it...." Danny hisses under his breath, flying in circles as the void closes in on him, sharp cracks etching closer and closer to him as he panics. There's no way out, no breaks in the void, no way to escape. "Wake up, wake up, wake up...."</p><p>The darkness takes him.</p><p>-</p><p>The darkness had taken him, and in turn the truth had been revealed.</p><p>In the depths of the void lay a mirror. With how much he'd gone through with reflective surfaces, he didn't want anything to do with it. But, it was the only other thing here.</p><p>So, he floats up to the mirror, deciding to humor the reflection ghost while he's trapped here. Although there's no sign of the ghost when he reaches the mirror. It isn't even a mirror at all when he reaches it. No, in fact it's a window.</p><p>And on the other side of that window is himself. His human half, splayed out across a bed and hooked up to many machines. A heart monitor, a ventilator, and IV drip stuck in his arm. It's him, but it's not his reflection.</p><p>Danny can feel his breathing pick up again, and he presses a gloved hand against the window.</p><p>He can see his mother push down the door with more medical supplies, followed by his sister and friends. His dad comes stumbling through with a bag of IV fluid and begins to change it.</p><p>"His breathing picked up. That means he's at least conscious again," his mother states, checking the readings on the devices hooked up to his human half.</p><p>"Is there any luck in finding him?" Jack asks as he hooks up the bag.</p><p>"We've checked every mirror in town. He could be anywhere after what you two did!" Jazz bites. "What's happening to him now is your fault, you know that."</p><p>"Jazz, they didn't know-" Tucker tries to stop her, but Jazz shoves him off.</p><p>"That doesn't change things. Danny's body is here wasting away while his soul is stuck wandering between mirror after mirror lost and confused! It was their invention that did that to him!" She shouts back. Both his parents flinch.</p><p>"We'll find him somehow. We'll find our baby's soul. Right now we need to keep preserving his physical body so he has something to return to when we do find it," Maddie whimpers harshly through the tears that had begun streaking her face.</p><p>It hits him, what happened. The latest invention, the Specter Reflector. Something about rendering ghosts harmless when they look into it? That's what must have happened... he looked into the Specter Reflector and became trapped in here. The expression on the reflection, those dead eyes... it must have been the face he'd given the mirror when he looked at it.</p><p>But now...</p><p>"Hey!" Danny pounds his fists against the glass. "Hey, guys! I'm here! I'm in here!"</p><p>The window wobbles against the force. Danny backs off a bit to keep it from shattering, not wanting to loose the closest lifeline he has to his family.</p><p>"Guys! Help! I'm in here! I'm awake now! Get me out!" he cries out to them. He yells and screams as they tend to his soulless and unconscious human form, updating the machinery preserving his life and moving about the bedroom. They haven't noticed him in the mirror.</p><p>Danny cries and cries, waiting for someone to look in his direction and hear him through the mirror.</p><p>"Please, I want to wake up..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Gray Area</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rikaleeta</p><p>Valerie, after much debate, decides it's Danny's choice to be around her and therefore ghosts, and decides to ask him out again. In the process, she discovers he's also Phantom.</p><p>Author's Note: Gray Ghost, so much Gray Ghost! I'm in a shippy mood today and we're doing this today~<br/>Also, no reveal I ever write will top how proud I am of Snake in the Grass's one, but it's worth a shot to try!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Valerie, currently masquerading as the merciless Red Huntress, couldn't help but watch the Fenton Family on the other side of the battlefield, Jack Fenton shouting alliterated, yet still child friendly, obscenities at the ghosts they were firing at together. The ridiculously jacked, pun intended, Danny would appreciate one like that, RV had weapons coming out of every side. Valerie could only hope that they don't hit her, seeing as her own suit is now powered by ecto energy.</p><p>One less thing that connects her to her... previous benefactor. The lying ball of half-ecto slime known as Vlad Masters can do his own damn dirty work without her. When Valerie hunts, she hunts for herself.</p><p>Besides, this town needs her. If it were left up to the Fentons, as dedicated to ghost hunting as they are, the town wouldn't last a day. That would leave things to Phantom... and regarding the ghost, Valerie can't help but feel conflicted.</p><p>Yes, the ghost had torn apart her life as she'd known it. Melted down her stability in one fell swoop and left her stranded in an unfamiliar world she had no control over whatsoever, with no one to turn to for help navigating the storm ahead. Thrust headfirst into a dangerous duty by a manipulative man who fueled the embers of what remained of her by stoking her need for vengeance and and then left her lost again.</p><p>And although Phantom was the root cause of all her problems, she can't find it in her to hate him anymore. He's not even an "it" to her anymore. The specter that once drove her motivations didn't deserve to just be called an "it" after seeing so many sides to him.</p><p>Phantom was a conniving, cunning, crude douche-bag of a ghost, but he also had a soft side, and a protective one. Looking back on things, it had always been there. The way he demanded she take on that army of ghosts together, fighting a common enemy. And then the "Elle" incident, as she'd soon begun to call it.</p><p>The "Elle" incident changed everything for her. Phantom had talked her into rescuing his half ghost cousin, because oh yeah, those actually are a thing that exist. And she discovered two of them in one night. The thought of a ghost with humanity stirred so many nasty feelings in her that she got a headache trying to tell them apart. It was genuine, and a side to Phantom she'd never realized was there.</p><p>But it was obvious that Phantom was more than just the act he put on over the skies of Amity Park that day. He cried when he thought he lost his cousin. The overwhelming relief and joy of Elle bursting through the puddle of goop she had been reduced to, whole and alive, was palpable through the heat of combat. They hugged, like two siblings embracing each other after a long time apart.</p><p>Phantom's cousin was rather innocent and kind for someone made halfway of ectoplasmic construct and physical matter. She would often sneak into Valerie's house and tell stories about her trips around the world in exchange for a meal behind her father's back. Valerie felt bad for the young half ghost, living on her own in the world with only her and Phantom around for backup. And sure, she has supernatural powers, but that's not saying much when Valerie has a cyborg like hunting suit.</p><p>Vlad, on the other hand... Vlad could burn in hell. He was the opposite of what Valerie liked about Elle. A half ghost who used their power for riches and fame, and selfishly horded all the world's resources to himself. In these idle moments of wondering, she can't help but think that her life's problems are divided by the square root of greedy old Plasmius instead of Phantom. She'll never know for sure. But she was lied to and exploited, and the less than happy huntress hadn't been able to find the resources to actually pull through on hunting him down and making him pay.</p><p>Her brooding thoughts are interrupted by a blast whizzing by her head, alerting her that the fight against the swarm of ghosts was still on. Drawing her weapon, Valerie blasted the last few spooks out of the way, looking over to the Fentons. They seem to smile satisfied as they pile into the RV to drive off. Where do they get the money to invent this stuff?</p><p>Wait a minute...</p><p>"Hey, hold up!" Valerie uses her jet sled to fly toward the Fentons before they drive off. Maddie sticks her head out the window and tilts her head at the other, who lands just beside the home-made RV.</p><p>"Is something the matter? We did deal with that invasion rather quickly..." Maddie asks. It's few and far in between when Valerie and Danny's parents work together on a hunt. Wrong place at the wrong time, maybe? Or perhaps different priority skewed things...</p><p>"Look, I need to ask you something," Valerie sighs. Now or never...</p><p>-</p><p>"Why are we moving my bedroom into the Ops Center again?" Danny groans.</p><p>"Because, Danny-o! We're going to be having business partners!" His father replied cheerily. "We need to give them a bit of extra space, so I hope you don't mind too much!"</p><p>"Could've asked my permission first," Danny mutters as he helps his dad move his bed around the Ops Center. Sure, he could lift it himself with his powers, but that would make things way too suspicious. So, he feigns struggling to move the bed into the guest room where he'd be sleeping for the foreseeable future.</p><p>"Now I know the swapping rooms thing is sudden, but you have to understand that the pair we're welcoming into our home need a better place to live," Jack chides his son as he places the bed on the ground with a thud. "I know it's a worthwhile investment and I know you'll think so too once they get here."</p><p>Danny rolls his eyes. He'll be the judge of that.</p><p>The doorbell rings, and the call of his mother echos from the floor below, saying that she would answer the door. That must be the new "business partners" his father was talking about. Again, Danny will see for himself if this pair were trustworthy, as he heads down from the Ops Center and toward the living room.</p><p>Turning the corner, he sees Valerie and Damon Gray entering the house. He must look rather surprised, because Valerie drops her suitcases and walks right up to him with a knowing smirk. "Hey Danny!"</p><p>"Hey Val! I wasn't expecting you and your dad to be coming though that door, I'll be honest," Danny chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck.</p><p>"Well, it looks like we're going to be roommates for the next little while," Valerie replies with a nervous laugh of her own. "We reached a business deal with your parents and I'm kind of going to be interning with them here for a while. They offered to let us stay here in Amity Park so..."</p><p>Danny snickers a bit. "I'll be honest, when they said they had to make room by moving me into the ops center, I thought some shady people would be coming to try and take the business. I'm so glad it's you Val."</p><p>Valerie smiles and laughs with him a moment, before her expression drops to a more somber one. She can't meet his eyes as she stares at the floor a moment, lost and confused. "Actually, Danny?"</p><p>"Is something wrong?" Danny tries to get her to look at him, though she becomes more and more insistent on curling up on herself.</p><p>"Can we go somewhere more private? I... I need to tell you something. Something important," she whispers to him, uncertain and nervous.</p><p>"Y-yeah, sure. Let's go into the lab. With my parents moving everything around, we should be undisturbed," Danny agrees, carefully leading Valerie out of the room while her father takes care of the suitcases they brought with them.</p><p>The familiar hum of the portal follows the silence as the pair of teens walk into the lab. Danny makes sure to shut the blast doors so nothing bad happens, or no one flies through to interrupt this. A gut feeling tells him that there's something she wants to discuss, and he he knows what it is.</p><p>And if she's going to tell him the truth, he owes her the same courtesy. And, if she doesn't take it well... he just finished cleaning out his room anyway.</p><p>"What do you want to talk about?" Danny asks. He's nervous now too, hoping the more dim lighting of the lab can mask the tension he feels. Still, if she's here to talk about her big secret, the big, big secret, which to be fair, he already knows, it's long past time he repay her in kind. Of course he's nervous.</p><p>"Well, you know I'm here to intern under your parents, right?" Valerie begins, rubbing at her shoulder with a far off expression. "I'm not here to become an ectobiologist."</p><p>Oh ancients it is the big secret. Danny idly wonders if he has time to mentally prepare himself for this, before deciding, no. No, he doesn't. Guess he'll just have to wing it like he always does. ... this is going to end horribly, isn't it? He nods along with Valerie's words regardless.</p><p>"I'm not here to... learn about ghosts in the way that I'm curious about their biology... I'm here to learn how to hunt them. I do hunt them. Danny," she pauses a moment, taking a deep breath. "I am a ghost hunter. I'm the Red Huntress."</p><p>Danny swallows hard, but Valerie seems to misinterpret his nervous expression. She looks away from him, downcast and hurt. The thing that makes Danny feel worse is that the emotions she's feeling now are only going to worsen with his own secret.</p><p>"Valerie..."</p><p>"I get it if you don't want to be around me," she sighs. "I've made enemies out of some dangerous ghosts, and they might target you to get to me if we get too close," She mutters. "But I don't want that. I don't want my job to get in the way of our friendship, okay? I don't want it getting in the way of being... being more than friends. If anyone comes for you, I'll... I'll fight them myself!"</p><p>The determination in her forest green eyes seems to strike Danny's soul in a way that almost physically hurts. He can feel himself being moved to tears by her words, because the feelings she had pulled before him mirrored that of his own soul. He doesn't want to hurt her with the truth.</p><p>But how selfish would that be? Valerie just told him her biggest secret, the darkest of her shadows. Her heart is on her sleeve before him, and he wants to squander that with more lies to keep from hurting her? No. No, she doesn't deserve that. She deserves so much better, better than he is.</p><p>"I get it if you don't want to be my friend," she repeats herself, turning away.</p><p>"Valerie, wait," he reaches a hand out to her. "I... I need to tell you something too. I need to tell you it now, or I might never do it, and it'll just keep hurting you."</p><p>She turns to look at him, taking in the tears welling up in his eyes. Seriousness and regret permeate his expression. He'd grabbed her arm and begged her to listen with the look on his face alone.</p><p>"You're a lot more courageous than I am," Danny admits. "You telling me your secret like that proved it. Despite everything I could have said or done, you still told me the truth. And I could never hate you for that, Val. Not even a little bit. That's why.... that's why I owe this to you. I've owed you it a long time..."</p><p>"Danny?"</p><p>"Please let me finish!" He begs her. "I... don't say that you like me like that until you know the truth. Let me tell you the truth before you dedicate yourself like that. I.. I don't want to dedicate you to a lie... I've been lying to you, and I don't want to do it anymore."</p><p>She turns to look at him, shocked and bewildered. It's then that Danny realizes the desperate emotions he'd begun to let loose had caused his eyes to glow. Bright and brilliant, ectoplasmic green reflects off her skin, alerting him to this change.</p><p>He shuts his eyes and shakes his head, but the glow persists as tears leak down his cheeks. Valerie continues to look at him with shock, not having moved even after the halfa promptly releases her hand. He brings both to his face and tries to hide his eyes from her.</p><p>"Danny...."</p><p>"No... no don't look at me," he whimpers, turning around. "Not like this, I wanted to just say it, not like this..."</p><p>"You're just like the other two," Valerie realizes with a gasp. "Like Elle and... you're... you're a halfa, aren't you?"</p><p>Her hand grasps his shoulder. Danny freezes in place, shaking as the glow of his eyes refuses to fade, his emotions running far too rampant to control himself completely. He shivers and shakes, not moving as Valerie comes around to his front again. Cold tears leak down his face as he sniffles.</p><p>"More... courageous than I am..." Danny repeats, his breaths shaking. What will she say to him? She's going to hate him forever, run him out of his own house and kill him for lying to her like this and ruining his life, and everything else he's done... He falls on his knees, unable to stay standing as he breaks down.</p><p>"Danny..." she calls to him. She brings his head up to meet her eyes. His own glowing ones meet hers, still full of emotions like regret and terror. It's obvious to see the shadow he makes in the darkened lab with his eyes alight with power. "Thanks for telling me the truth."</p><p>"Wh- but, I..."</p><p>"Don't say anything else. I haven't figured out if I want to hug you or punch you in the face yet."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>omg they were roommates.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Together As a Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Phan-pheeking-tastic<br/>Post-Reveal Family Bonding</p><p>Plus:</p><p>Lord Frootloop<br/>Danny discovers that blood blossoms are not the only ghost plant, in fact there are a whole bunch of ghost plants out there, and not all of them are bad!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the absence, I got too caught up in some important things.</p><p>My Roleplay Blog: Right.</p><p>Persona 4: Very important.</p><p>Stfu, I may as well do a two in one because I've been away from this so long.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had come and gone so fast, Danny had a hard time remembering it had actually happened.</p><p>Plasmius had shot him down, right toward where his parents were waiting to capture him, taking advantage of the fight. But, the other halfa had miscalculated, whether it be how tired Danny was during that fight or too much power being put into the blast, but he morphed and hit his head when he hit the ground. Or was it the other way around? He can't tell.</p><p>He'd woken up in his bedroom the next thing he remembered, his arm in a sling and an ice pack on his head. Everything was fuzzy, and his vision had become blurred by the concussion screwing with his brain. His head hurt a hell of a lot and everything felt tilted on it's side. He could see a rather blurry figure enter the room through the haze, and the sound of her gasping brings him back to reality the slightest bit more.</p><p>His mother, he can tell who she is now at least, rushes across the room and grips his hand. "Danny... oh Danny, thank goodness you're awake..."</p><p>"mmmm....Mum...?" Danny murmurs out. He's still sore in a hundred different places, but at least he's conscious enough to recognize her despite the headache. Through his blurred vision, he can see the tears in her eyes. Is she sad or relieved? He can't tell.</p><p>"Jack, he's coherent this time. It looks like it's working," Maddie looks in the doorway, and Danny can just make out a figure in orange if he strains his eyes enough. Maddie presses a hand on his chest, in a calming manner to keep him from moving too much. He obliges, sinking back into the bed.</p><p>It feels like he blinks the next time he opens his eyes. With his nose a bit more cleared up, something that smells vaguely like honey seems to infiltrate his senses. The smell is very soothing, like when his mother would make chamomile tea, but still a very sweet scent, like no sugar was needed at all.</p><p>Jazz finishes setting down a tray beside him on the night stand and notices he's awake. She shoots her brother a smile, before tending to the slightly luminescent plant that hadn't been there before. "It really is working, huh?"</p><p>Danny tilts his head as much as his sore neck would allow before wincing. Jazz shakes her head and moves closer to the side of his bed, sitting herself down beside him.</p><p>"You're never going to believe this, but there's apparently a plant that caters to helping with a halfa's regeneration process," Jazz tells him. His eyes go wide at the fact. She just nods, now that he can see her a bit better. "Yep. Apparently its called an Ecto-Orchid."</p><p>"Ecto....orchid?" Danny slurs out. His apparent concussion is really getting to him...</p><p>"Yeah, info about it was in this really dusty old tome in the Fenton Stockades. Apparently Dad and his side of the family have been in tune with Halfas for generations, though no one they tell the story to believes they ever existed, so he kind of locked it up before mom could see it and crush the fantasy," Jazz elaborates.</p><p>"Dad.... nws...halfas are?" Danny mumbles incoherently.</p><p>"Yeah. Apparently it's from the "Nightingale" side of the family? Dad and I took a road trip over to the closest known relative while you were still out of it. Mom looked after you." Jazz starts pouring a cup of tea with the tray she brought in.</p><p>"Nightingale..." Danny murmurs. That sounds like a familiar last name.</p><p>"They gave us an entire plot of these flowers, apparently they grow by the dozens over there, and seeds to help us get more. They're all over the house now, makes it look more homey if I'm being honest," Jazz comments as she stirs milk and sugar into the cup.</p><p>"House plants, huh...?" the still semi-coherent halfa looks at the blooming flower on the table. Is that where the honey smell is coming from? It's a very nice looking flower, as girly as it sounds. Though if it's helping him, there's nothing wrong with it.</p><p>"Here. All parts of the plant are edible to halfas apparently, so this tea is actually made with ecto-orchid leaves. It should help you feel better since the plant being in the room has already help significantly. Just take it slow though, we don't know if there's any side effects..."</p><p>Jazz helps him sit up with a bit of strain before handing him the tea cup. He graciously accepts it, taking a small sip of the drink.</p><p>It's almost electric, the feeling of the plant touching his lips alone seems to soothe his mind and core, a calm numbness washing over him. It felt amazing compared to the aches in his body as the tea slides down his throat. Another few sips has the dizzy feeling of the concussion leaving him entirely.</p><p>"This stuff is amazing," he comments with a contented sigh.</p><p>"I can tell, your core is purring loud enough for it to be heard in human form," Jazz smirks.</p><p>"I keep telling you, I don't purr. My core just starts making a buzzing noise when it's being charged by positive energy," Danny grumbles, taking another sip of his tea. It was like honey and vanilla in a cup with a creamy aftertaste and it was amazing. Yes, he knows he called it amazing before, but there really is no other word for it.</p><p>"Whatever you say, little brother," Jazz chuckles. She smiles and turns to leave the room again.</p><p>Danny finishes his tea in now time flat, because damn if it isn't the best cup of tea he's ever had in his half-life, when Jazz returns with their mom and dad in tow. They have a case holding a CD inside, though Danny can't make out the cover from where he's laying.</p><p>"Thank goodness you're okay," Maddie sighs as she heads to sit beside him. Jack wheels the T.V that's positioned on one of the side walls in the room and moves it to be facing the foot of his bed. Jazz brought popcorn with her.</p><p>"How long was I out? Jazz mentioned a road trip to go get the flowers..." Danny inquires as the T.V is set up for a movie night of sorts.</p><p>"Two weeks...." Maddie sighs. "The Wisconsin Ghost knocked Phantom... you, out of the sky, and your head made a sudden and violent impact with the ground. You, morphed, after that, right in front of us and completely unconscious."</p><p>"I acted then before your mother could say anything," Jack pipes up. "Jazz probably mentioned some of the family history, right?"</p><p>Danny nods stiffly, he's still a bit sore so moving around too much is a bad idea.</p><p>"The Nightingales aren't really related too much to the Fentons anymore, but they were the halfa experts. Before I went to college, my parents would take me to visit their distant cousins. Ma introduced me to one of the older members and they're the one who gave me that tome in the basement. It's why when I saw you morph just like the thing illustrated, I knew I had to go to them," Jack elaborates, poking a few buttons on the CD Player.</p><p>Danny continues lightly nodding along with the story. To think his dad knew about the existence of halfas, but never said anything. Then again, his mother and father are the kinds of folks to openly argue the existence of Santa Claus in a mall full of young children, so his father may have made the right decision hiding that tome from her. Who knows what would have happened without it?</p><p>Well, for one thing he wouldn't have this ecto-orchid tea. It's really pretty great. Jazz pours him another cup while his father details the adventures of the Nightingales and halfa history. Turns out they have a lot of cool stuff in the rural area they live.</p><p>"We already plan to visit them again when you're feeling better. You can ask them as many questions as you like once you've recovered," Maddie sighs. "We owe it to them for saving your life, after all."</p><p>Danny nods again. It's for the best. Meeting the Nightingales might answer a few questions he has about himself if they are knowledgeable enough about the history of ghost hybrids like himself. If they have more remedies like this ecto-orchids, he'd love to know them.</p><p>"Anyway, lets watch a movie. We can talk about ghosts and hybrids and plants all we want later. Right now Danny's recovering from head trauma and a movie with the family is just what we need to clear our own heads a little bit," Jazz concludes.</p><p>"You bet, Jazzerincess. Fenton Family Movie Night starts now!" Jack declares, hitting play on the remote.</p><p>Danny relaxes into his bed as everyone looks onward at the screen. It's a cheesy superhero flick, but he'd be lying if he said it wasn't his type of movie. In fact it's just what he needs.</p><p>His family around him, a warm cup of tea, relaxed in his bed with pure acceptance in the air, sweet as the honey smell the potted plants on his nightstand are giving off.</p><p>...maybe he does purr after all.</p>
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